The Cabinet convened its regular meeting on September 13, 2023, during which several matters were deliberated upon and subsequently addressed.
The Prime Minister has ordered the commencement of EPC-4, a package of the oil refinery project, with the aim of fully operationalizing the plant by 2027.
The Mongolian Government is committed to accelerating the progress of the oil refinery project. During the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister issued directives to compensate for the 13 months of lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the Prime Minister ordered the commencement of construction for the EPC-04 package of the Oil Refinery and emphasized the need to intensify efforts to ensure the plant becomes operational by 2027.
Mongolia aims to meet 100% of its domestic wheat and potato requirements, as well as produce over 80% of its vegetables locally.
During the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry Kh. Bolorchuluun presented the initial harvest results. It is estimated that Mongolia will yield 480 thousand tons of wheat, 165 thousand tons of potatoes, 165.8 thousand tons of vegetables, 64.8 thousand tons of oilseeds, 225.6 thousand tons of fodder plants, and 5 thousand tons of fruits. These results mean that Mongolia can now satisfy 100 percent of its wheat and potato demands, along with 81.3 percent of its vegetable requirements, all sourced from domestic crops.
Anticipated increases in production include a 19 percent rise in wheat, amounting to an additional 79 thousand tons, an 18.3 percent boost in vegetable production, equivalent to 25.7 thousand tons, a substantial 42.4 percent growth in animal feed production, contributing 67.2 thousand tons, and a 25 percent uptick in fruits and vegetables, totaling 1 thousand tons.
The agreement on air transport between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the United States of America has been approved.
In light of the government’s declaration of Visit Mongolia Year for 2023-2025, the Ministry of Road and Transport Development has set ambitious objectives to enhance air travel. Their plan involves rapidly expanding flight routes and frequencies within a short timeframe, with intentions to secure air traffic agreements with approximately 10 new countries in 2023-2024.
In line with this strategy, efforts to establish an air communication agreement with the United States of America have been intensified. The draft agreement was deliberated upon during the Cabinet meeting on December 7, 2022. Subsequently, on August 4, 2023, during the official visit of the Prime Minister of Mongolia to the United States, the agreement was officially signed.
The “Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the United States of America on Air Transport” now paves the way for direct flights between the two nations. This development will enable Mongolian citizens to travel comfortably to the United States at competitive rates. Furthermore, it is expected to boost the competitiveness of national air carriers and lead to the expansion and development of the air communication and flight network.
Mongolia is set to enhance its digital transition through collaboration with relevant institutions in Estonia.
During the cabinet meeting, Minister of Digital Development and Communications, N. Uchral, delivered a comprehensive overview of Mongolia’s participation in the eighth “Open Government Partnership” international conference, which took place in Tallinn, the capital of the Republic of Estonia.
In light of this, the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications has been entrusted with the responsibility of accelerating Mongolia’s digital transition through collaboration with relevant Estonian institutions. Furthermore, the minister has been given directives to initiate necessary measures aimed at creating a conducive environment for foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and high-tech experts to conduct business in Mongolia.