Agreement signed to jointly develop TT Power Plant

Head of the project M. Enkhsaikhan, discusses implementation of the US1 billion project

Not long ago, the government made a decision to build 450MW power plant at Tavan Tolgoi deposit.
The Mongolian government will own 34 percent of the power plant and foreign and domestic investors will possess the remaining percentage. According to preliminary estimations, nearly US1 billion is required for the project.
D. Delgertsogt, State Secretary at the Energy Ministry and head of the Committee for the project, said, “It is not so easy to find money for such a mega project. International experience shows that any mega project is successfully realized based on close cooperation of the public and private sectors.”
To implement the project, relevant participants signed an ‘Agreement to jointly develop the project’. For instance, ‘MCS Holding’ is to back resolving the energy and water issues required to construct the power plant and sharing its previous experience of building a power plant in the South Gobi. Also, Oyu Tolgoi Company, who will buy most of energy to be produced from the Tavan Tolgoi Power Plant, is to collaborate with the Project Unit.
M. Enkhsaikhan, head of the project unit, said, “To realize the project, we will prioritize spending time properly. Losing time during the implementation of the mega project increases costs and obstructs forward momentum; therefore, we aspire to work without making mistakes.”
During implementation of the project, principles will be followed to be transparent, efficient, just, and supportive for competition, and to not cause conflicts of interest.


Source: THE MONGOL MESSENGER

Campaigns underway for the 2013 Presidential Election

Candidates express confidence in the voters

On May 22 the GEC handed mandates to the three candidates racing in the 2013 Presidential Election. They are Ts.Elbegdorj from the DP, B.Bat-Erdene from the MPP and N.Udval from the MPRP who are now eligible to start their election campaigns. The CWGP and the MNDP expressed earlier that they will support Ts.Elbegdorj (DP) in the coming election and they signed a contract to participate in the June presidential election with the DP. The Mongolian Green Party, the Freedom Implementing Party and the United Patriotic Party decided to participate in the election by supporting B.Bat-Erdene, candidate of the MPP, and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on May 20.

By concluding the Memorandum, the Mongolian Green Party, the Freedom Implementing Party and the United Patriotic Party officially declared their intention to carry-out the election campaign of B.Bat-Erdene together with the MPP.

When receiving his election mandate, MPP candidate B.Bat-Erdene requested his opponents be fair and honest in the racing competition.” To my understanding, the election is an expression of democracy and justice. I believe the General Election Committee will organize the election of the President, who must be an expression of the unity of the Mongolian people according to law.

I believe the coming election will be fair and that candidates from other parties will be fair and honest in the election, “ said B.Bat-Erdene. 

Current President Ts.Elbegdorj said: “We face a lot of work. We know well what we have done, what we have to accomplish as a new task, and what we have to continue doing. Mongolia’s reputation has grown, we can raise a significant amount of money and money is not a problem for us now.

Opportunities have been created to resolve matters in cooperation with Parliament, the government, the city and rural authorities. We face a time to accomplish much more than we have done in previous years. Now we must multiply what has been accomplished and more works that should benefit the people. Let do them together,” called Ts.Elbegdorj.

N.Udval, candidate from the MPRP is the first woman to race in a Presidential election. She accepted the fact that her opponents, Ts.Elbegdorj and B.Bat-Erdene, are eminent competitors both in the political scene and in society. This is a very serious challenge for me as my opponents are very powerful competitors; but nevertheless, I have confidence that a champion will gain victory in the competition. I am confident that I will win the race,” said N.Udval. 

On May 22, B.Bat-Erdene, candidate from the MPP, started his election campaign from his native place the Khentii Aimag. Ts.Elbegdorj (DP) participated in the ‘Mongol-93’ petroleum opening ceremony held at ‘Shunkhlai’ petroleum station and headed to Dornod Aimag. On May 23, MPRP candidate N.Udval met with the party leader N.Enkhbayar and opened her official election campaign at Circus. According to the Presidential Law, and with an aim to provide candidates with equal the pre-election campaign, the hours on television programs, campaign materials, and number of posters shall be limited. On May 22, the General Election Committee met and set up a non-staff press and media council to operate during the presidential election. The Council is composed of five members representing the political parties participating in the election, media and press and nongovernmental agencies.

The Council is obliged to supervise balanced media agitation by the parties and candidates running in the election, to check and oversee complaints and claims received from parties, candidates, legal subjects and citizens, make conclusions, present and submit them to the General Election Committee. The candidates are prohibited to involve teenagers   in the election campaign or distribute money and material goods in order to buy votes. The election campaign for candidates running in the presidential election will continue until June 25.


Source: THE MONGOL MESSENGER

Mongolia now providing its own petroleum products

The  Government  for  Changes holds a policy to increase sources of supply  of  oil  products.  Therefore,
it  instructed  the  Mining  Ministry  to implement  actions  to  increase  the sources.  Mongolia’s  extraction  of  oil can  make  it  an  oil  exporter  and  the possibility  for  providing  its  own  oil products  based  on  the  nation’s  oil reserve. Currently, construction of the Darkhan oil refinery has begun, but it will take time until production starts.
Therefore, during the sub-meeting of Mongolia-China  intergovernmental meeting  held  early  2013,  the
Mongolian side made a request to the Chinese side to have its oil processedin China and take processed oil back to Mongolia. An Oil Refinery in Hohhot, China  completed  its  expansion  work at  the  end  of  2012.  In  consideration that Mongolia’s oil supply reached 8 percent of the annual oil needs of the
oil refinery, a contract was established in April, 2013 to receive monthly up to  10  thousand  tons  of  oil  products from the oil refinery.

PM N. Altankhuyag, MPs, and other officials attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the petroleum sales

 Accordingly,  petroleum  made from  Mongolian  oil  started  being sold  on  May  16  through  Mongolia’s
domestic  importers  NIC,  Shunkhlai and Magnai Trade companies.Prime  Minister  N.  Altankhuyag,
MPs,  and  other  officials  attendedthe  ceremony  to  launch  the  sales  of petroleum. At  the  event,  taxis  of  the Ulaanbaatar  Taxi  Company  were the first to fill their vehicles with the petroleum.
The  PM  said  that  Mongolia  will increase  its  volume  of  oil  supply  in order to use its own petroleum more, and  the  Government  will  work  to keep  petroleum  prices  from  raising. Mongolia supplies 400-500 thousand tons of crude oil yearly from Tamsag, Dornod Aimag to China. The price of Mongol-93 petroleum being supplied from  Hohhot’s  refinery  was  set  as  a basis to the price of Mongolia’s crude
oil exporting to China.
Source: 'Mongol Messenger' 2013.05.24