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April 2006
Posted on 4/17/2006
Mission News: Spring of a sort has come to Mongolia, complete
with frequent wind and dust storms, temperatures that soar into the sixties
during the day and plunge into the teens at night, and beautiful blue skies
that alternate with snow flurries. Amid this background, USAID was pleased to
welcome back Senior Program Manager Jeff Goodson, who returned in late March
after a two-month TDY to Afghanistan. Jeff got here just in time to say hello
and goodbye to Program Officer Cory Johnston, who departed at the end of the
month for a four-week training rotation with our colleagues in USAID/Philippines.
Political Update: The uncertain climate was mirrored by a
very fluid political situation. As April began, various groups – ranging
from the Radical Reform Movement and dissatisfied pensioners to the uncompensated
victims of a large fire at the SAPU warehouse in December - had set up “protest
gers” and embarked on a “sitting strike” in Sukhbaatar Square.
Representatives of the youth wing of the Civil Will Party have also been on
scene conducting a survey of public attitudes toward corruption, and recently
the demonstrators have been joined by representatives of the Democratic Party.
Estimates of the crowd at any given time range from the low hundreds to 3,000,
and while so far there has been little if any violence (apart from the broken
windows of a few police cars), the disruption to Ulaanbaatar traffic patterns
caused by the demonstrators’ practice of blocking the city’s main
street, Peace Avenue, every afternoon has been impressive. The more extreme
of the demonstrators have called for the President, the Prime Minister, the
Cabinet, and the entire State Great Hural to resign immediately on the grounds
that they are corrupt and are on the brink of giving away the national patrimony
by signing a Stability Agreement with Ivanhoe Mines; no such resignations appear
imminent. Recently ousted Prime Minister Elbegdorj, who was elected in late
March as the new Chairman of the Democratic Party, addressed the demonstrators
on Friday and called on the government to meet with the demonstrators. Meanwhile,
the New York Times reports that 26 Democratic Party lawmakers walked out of
the Parliament in solidarity with the protests.
Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness Project (EPRC) Update
Chemonics
www.eprc-chemonics.biz
SO1: PRIVATE SECTOR-LED ECONOMIC GROWTH
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL, AND TRADE POLICY SUPPORT
Tax Reform
Tax Law Drafting: EPRC continued working on drafting a simplified Mongolian
VAT law in March. Also in March, the Parliamentary Tax Working Group (PTWG)
completed point–by–point recommendations on the Personal Income
Tax (PIT) proposals from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and was working on Legal
Entity Income Tax (LEIT; aka Corporate Income Tax) and Value Added Tax (VAT)
recommendations.
Tax Reform Facilitation: Tax reform facilitation meetings
continued in March, including follow–up meetings with the Chairs of key
Parliamentary standing committees and with representatives of the General Department
of National Taxation (GDNT). Parliament remains committed to discussing the
tax laws early in the spring session.
GDNT Assistance: EPRC staff met with the GDNT to discuss assistance
that it has requested in drafting regulations and providing explanatory materials
on concepts expected to be contained in the tax package, once passed. A second
meeting was also held to confirm the transfer of tax administration assistance
responsibilities from EPRC to the World Bank. The World Bank is negotiating
a multi–year activity within its Governance Assistance Project (GAP) for
this purpose.
Shadow Economy Study: EPRC continued analyzing data in March
from the most comprehensive national household survey ever carried out in Mongolia.
The study, commissioned jointly by USAID with the National Statistics Office
(NSO) and the Open Society Forum (OSF), attempts to calculate the size of the
shadow economy. Previous studies have covered different segments of the informal/shadow
economy, but none has calculated the “total shadow”. The project
is currently recalculating the 2004 gross domestic product (GDP) of Mongolia,
including estimates of both the informal and shadow economy. The results suggest
that the income generated by the formal economy amounts to about one-half of
total domestic income; the other half is attributed to activities of the informal
and shadow economy.
Collaboration with the National Statistics Office: EPRC offered
two seminars in the NSO in March, one on the social accounting matrix and another
on the shadow economy. Several meetings with NSO officials were also held to
discuss joint EPRC–NSO projects. Issues included joint seminars, a summer
economic policy school, internships, other training, a survey of NSO users,
publication of a bilingual glossary of statistics/economics/policy terminology,
calculation of the producer price index (including price indexes needed for
fuel cost escalators in the energy sector), the shadow economy, the 2004 household
survey, quarterly GDP statistics, recalculation of official GDP figures (2000–2005),
SAM/GDP and national accounts, modeling (input–output and computable general
equilibrium), support for the “Statistical Development Program, 2006–2010”,
assistance in the formulation of the NSO “Action Plan”, and assistance
in the organization of and contribution to statistics workshops to be organized
in April.
CLUSTER AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
Tourism
Tourism Portal: The EPRC–initiated tourism portal
was launched at an industry reception held on March 24. The launch of the portal,
Welcome2Mongolia (W2M), attracted an audience of over one hundred tour operators
and service providers. The portal will provide comprehensive information on
all aspects of tourism in Mongolia, on–line booking services with electronic
payment settlement, and an interactive inquiry service and forum. The company,
W2M Ltd, will be owned and operated as a commercial company. EPRC is now assisting
W2M in engaging the Mongolian International Credit Corporation (MICC) to prepare
a prospectus and business plan for a private offering to sell shares and raise
$50,000 in start–up capital. The portal is available on-line at http://www.welcome2mongolia.com/.
Tourist Guide Training: The first group of graduates of the
tourist guide training program, conducted through the Mongolian Tourism Guides
Association, graduated on March 27. The program will train 60 guides over a
12–week period. On successful completion of the program, participants
will become members of the association and will be guaranteed jobs for the season.
Ger Camp Association Training: The EPRC team is assisting
‘Nomadic Urtuu’, a newly formed ger camp association, to develop
and implement training programs for members. The training covers all aspects
of hospitality management and is designed to ensure consistent service in any
of the 16 member camps. The first training sessions were conducted in March.
Natural Fibers
Cashmere Linkages with US: George Segal, the EPRC
cashmere intermediary in New York, opened a cashmere showroom in New York representing
the cashmere companies that visited the USA in February 2006. The showroom,
located on Broadway, will be financed from commissions earned from orders from
US buyers.
Business Development Fund: The Business Development Fund is
currently working with two cashmere companies to install new plant and upgrade
existing equipment to meet the challenges accruing from the recent interest
in Mongolian cashmere. To date, $2.5 million has been invested in the industry
since September 2005.
FINANCE
Housing Finance: On March 30, nine commercial banks and the Bank of
Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a Housing Finance
Corporation (HFC). Khaan Bank, Anod, Golomt, Mongol Post, Trade and Development,
Xacbank, Zoos, Capitron and Capital committed to working towards establishing
HFC as a private sector–controlled company. Signing of the MOU was the
culmination of three working meetings that EPRC helped organize. When established,
HFC will initially:
• Advise and assist the government on legal, regulatory and institutional
issues necessary to promote development of the mortgage market
• Promote short–term incremental loans in the ger areas
• Encourage and support the growth of the primary mortgage market, including
standardizing underwriting policies and documentation
• Lay the groundwork for secondary mortgage market development
• Raise medium to long–term funds both through the sale of its securities
or as a direct borrower.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans: On March 17, David Binns,
an internationally recognized expert on the use of employee stock ownership
plans (ESOPs), made a presentation on International Best Practices and Practical
Considerations for the use of ESOPs in Mongolia. In attendance were representatives
of the public and private sectors, including companies, financial advisers,
bankers, policy makers and government officials who have a direct or indirect
interest in an ESOP and related stock compensation plans. EPRC brought in Mr.
Binns at the request of the State Property Committee to develop recommendations
on the use of ESOPs in Mongolia’s privatization plans.
ENERGY SECTOR SUPPORT
Energy Regulatory Reform, Market and Tariff Advisor: USAID
approved Mr. Russell C. Brown to join the EPRC team as long-term Senior.Energy
Advisor. He will be joining the Energy Team full–time on April 10th. Horst
Meinecke will remain through the end of his contract in September. During the
transition period, Russ will concentrate his efforts on energy policy and market
and regulatory reforms, while Horst will concentrate on pending short–term
issues such as revisions to the energy law, the development of bilateral power
purchase and sales agreements, a standard coal procurement contract, and the
development of a concession law and associated concession agreements.
Market Rules: At the end of March, Mr. Michael Bekker completed
a short-term assignment to draft a set of bilateral market rules and operating
procedures. The project organized a series of meetings throughout the consultancy
with individual and group stakeholders. All enthusiastically endorsed the proposed
principles and rules; full implementation, however, will have to wait until
the ongoing installation of meters is completed in the summer of 2007 with assistance
from KfW, and funds are found and allocated for data gathering, market clearing
software, training, and dispatch simulation software at the National Dispatch
Center (NDC). As identified by EPRC expert Doug Bowman, upgrading the capabilities
of NDC in these areas will require an additional $1-1.5 million of funding.
Meeting with New Minister of Fuel and Energy: On March 27
senior EPRC representatives accompanied Ambassador Pamela Slutz and USAID Senior
Program Manager Jeff Goodson to an introductory meeting with new Minister of
Fuel and Energy Erdenebat. During the meeting Ambassador Slutz informed the
Minister that USAID regards the energy sector as a continued priority for USG
support due to its importance for the economic development of Mongolia.
Energy Sector Asset Accounting: EPRC and the ERA’s Regulatory
Auditor jointly presented the new asset accounting requirements to Power Plants
3 and 4 in March. The plants have now formed multi–disciplinary teams
to conform to Government Resolution 233, which changes the methodology for setting
asset lives.
ERA Regulatory Auditors: The project team assisted the ERA
in the selection and hiring of two auditors in March, bringing the staffing
up to the desired level of three. The auditors will receive training both from
the ERA auditor that the project previously trained, and directly from EPRC.
PUBLIC EDUCATION/NATIONAL DIALOGUE SUPPORT
Essential Business Laws: Translation and review of the 54 business
laws that have been updated with all amendments in both Mongolian and in English—as
well the 50 investment and taxation treaties of which Mongolia is a signatory—is
proceeding more slowly than expected. This delay is due to the scarcity of well–trained
legal translators and an internal review of sub–contracting procedures
that The Asia Foundation, an EPRC sub-contractor, is undertaking in its Mongolian
operations.
The Gobi Initiative Phase II Update
Mercy Corps International and PACT
SO1: PRIVATE SECTOR-LED ECONOMIC GROWTH
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
New Record-Keeping Book: A new "Herder Business Record-Keeping
Book" was distributed to all Gobi Initiative (GI) herder clients in March
to facilitate better records of sales, expenses, and production details on a
timely basis.
Client Sales and Loan Applications: Herder client sales during
March totaled about $27,500, including sale of some stored products from 2005.
A total of 32 vets and herder groups applied for commercial loans totaling about
$74,800 to finance their 2006 business plans.
New Client Focus: The selection of larger, non-herder business
clients was completed in March. Twenty new non-herders are to receive long-term
technical assistance from the project to implement their plans. The businesses
include compressed coal fuel production, sausage production, hotel and restaurant
services, dairy and milk processing, wood carpentry, auto repair and garage
services, and bakeries.
Crop Production Planning: GI organized a regional meeting
in March for agricultural program officers and Aimag (province)-based vegetable
consultants to discuss vegetable and fodder crop production plans for 2006.
Ten participants discussed the coordination and provision of technical assistance
to 42 herder clients that have developed business plans for vegetable and fodder
crop production. The participants also discussed new appropriate technologies
for soil cultivation and irrigation systems related to vegetable production
in the Gobi.
Veterinary Brochures and Video: Veterinary and animal health
brochures covering pertinent topics in parasitology and infectious diseases,
including zoonotic threats to public health (anthrax, brucellosis, echinococcus),
were distributed to all program aimag offices for distribution to herder clients
in March. Each client will receive a set of 13 brochures for their continuing
education. In collaboration with PACT, a training video to complement the "veterinary
training for herders" curriculum was developed. The video demonstrates
proper techniques for assessing animal health, including physical examination,
vital parameters, recognizing signs of disease, and the importance of preventative
health care. It also emphasizes the importance of utilizing professional veterinary
services. The video had a trial run in March, and will be finalized in April.
RBN News: Eight thousand copies of the first new quarterly
Rural Business News magazine were printed and distributed nationally, and a
new bi-weekly TV program, Learning Business, was launched in cooperation with
TV-9. RBN also aired two scheduled programs; one highlighted a souvenir-making
business, and the other focused on a dairy business operator. Effective the
end of March, RBN radio increased its air time by shifting to 20 minutes on
Monday-Thursday, 25 minutes on Friday, and repetitions twice per day. The radio
programs include: For Your Health, a livestock health program covering timely
animal health issues related to the season; Price Review, a market watch program;
and Business Guide, which provides listeners with tips on business topics such
as establishing a cooperative and how to register a business.
The GER Initiative Update
CHF International
SO1: PRIVATE SECTOR-LED ECONOMIC GROWTH
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
In March, 84 businesses were improved or expanded with assistance from GER,
13 new startups were created, 106 people were matched to jobs, and 85 new job
placements were generated.
Training and Consulting: GER provided consulting services
to 375 clients in March, including 144 new clients, and business training to
487 clients. As the weather began to warm up, many of the services were agriculture-related.
In Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet, a bakery specialist helped thirteen client businesses
on quality control and new product development; monitoring carried out ten days
later showed an increase in average sales of 5.1% for seven of the clients.
In Choibalsan, a GER client increased her monthly sales by 33% and increased
the number of repeat customers after offering an unusual televised “prize
drawing” in association with Women’s Day. In Darkhan, GER organized
agricultural training for eight clients and an agricultural tour for another
38 clients from UB and Choibalsan. And in Ulaanbaatar, GER held its first training
session on electrical hazards for 18 clients. GER also provided customer service
training for stall traders in Erdenet, and advanced accounting training for
15 clients.
Financial Services: GER facilitated 172 loans worth $159,550
in March; 48 of the loans (28%) were at least partly for fixed assets. This
includes 26 Capital Augmentation Fund (CAF) loans worth $24,517. The average
loan amount is $930 and the term is ten months. Comparing 2003 loans to 2005
loans, the average GER-facilitated loan is now more likely to be a fixed asset
loans (9.2% in 2003 vs. 24% in 2005), with lower interest rates (3.29% in 2003
vs. 2.78% in 2005) and longer loan terms (6.36 months vs. 10.07 months). At
the end of March, 36 of the 928 outstanding facilitated loans in the portfolio,
and 13 of 183 outstanding CAF loans in the portfolio, were in arrears. Over
the life of the project, there have been six defaults in facilitated loans,
including one CAF loan.
Information: Some 391 clients accessed information services
in March. Almost 25% of the clients were looking for agricultural information
and GER sold out of its khashaa gardening manual (a khashaa is a fenced-in plot
of land, usually in a ger area). Other popular information products were accounting
booklets and bank information. New GER advertisements were shown on MNTV; and
new client registrations were up 15% over February, attributed in part to the
commercials—which many partner organizations saw.
Land and Property Meetings: GER worked on land issues with
the GoM in Darkhan, Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar. In Darkhan, 260 people attended
three days of meetings where representatives from the Land Office explained
the land registration process and answered questions. In Erdenet, GER conducted
an “open discussion” about land ownership involving the Erdenet
city Governors office, the land office, and more than 50 local residents. The
residents got answers on land and housing questions, and asked for a decrease
in the cost of the real estate confirmation letter required when they apply
for bank loans. In Jargalant, GER helped the Erdenet Land Office provide a “one
stop shop” for residents to obtain land certificates. Around 50 people
attended and 28 residents obtained their certificate or made progress in doing
so. In Ulaanbaatar, 80 people attended two meetings in two GER branch offices
with the land office.
Social Insurance Meeting: In Ulaanbaatar, GER organized a
social insurance meeting with 70 ger residents and the district social insurance
inspector. Residents wanted to know the benefits of obtaining private insurance,
how it will work when they reach retirement age, how to obtain the insurance
for unemployed and self-employed individuals, and how small businesses should
ensure their employees are eligible.
Agricultural Meetings: GER held a number of agricultural meetings
in March, including with the Choibalsan, Erdenet, and Darkhan Departments of
Food and Agriculture (DFA). In Erdenet GER requested help in linking Jargalant
vegetable growers to the Erdenet market, which will provide cleaner and healthier
food products to Erdenet consumers and help Jargalant producers find a market.
In Darkhan, the DFA and GER agreed to organize an Agricultural Trade Fair in
April and to help vegetable producers attend the Golden Autumn Trade Fair in
the fall in Ulaanbaatar.
Linkages: Sales linkages were up in March, with 29 companies
purchasing goods and services from 44 GER clients. The total value of sales
linkages was $6,021, up 12% from February. There were also six new linkages.
Seventeen companies were involved with input linkages for the month, and 39
GER clients benefited; the total estimated savings to clients was $1,600.
Business Associations: GER provided 49 different types of
services to 29 business groups in March, involving 161 people. Fifty 50 active
business groups are working with the GER Initiative, including one new group
in Choibalsan.
Employment Services: GER matched 106 clients with employers
in March. It established new relationships with three companies, and signed
formal agreements with a training center, a district employment office, and
UB Online. Three Employment Days were organized in Ulaanbaatar, and GER conducted
Human Resources Management training for 34 small and medium partner employers
in coordination with the local employment offices.
Other Activities: GER opened a “mobile office”
in Choibalsan in March that will rotate between the four remote Governors Offices
each week. It also met with GTZ regarding plans to open a regional economic
development project in Darkhan, Erdenet, and Zavkhan in June.
Eastern Steppe Living Landscape Project Update
Wildlife Conservation Society
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
In March, the Mongolia Program’s GIS and Remote Sensing specialist completed
a month of training with the WCS Living Landscapes Program staff in New York.
Planning for this summer’s field season continued and WCS Country Program
Director Amanda Fine prepared for an April return to Mongolia.
Landscape Species Selection: Collection of available data
on a list of candidate species for the landscape species selection process for
the Eastern Steppe continued in March. This will be an ongoing process and is
an important step in the identification of conservation landscapes based on
the diverse ecological needs of key wildlife species and the geographic location
and severity of wildlife/human conflict.
Important Bird Areas (Eastern Steppe): A detailed map of the
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) on the Eastern Steppe has been created and will
be used to assist land and wildlife managers to identify and work to protect
these important breeding grounds and congregation sites.
Siberian Marmot Population Assessment: Dr. Sue Townsend, a
small mammal expert, agreed in March to return to Mongolia this summer to assist
with the assessment of marmot populations across the Eastern Steppe and to help
develop improved management plans in cooperation with Mongolian scientists and
wildlife managers.
Wildlife Trade Laws and Protection: WCS staff worked closely
with the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia in March to prepare and submit a proposal
on “Building Mongolia’s Capacity to Stop the Illegal and Unsustainable
Trade in Wildlife” to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Oceans and
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. The proposal seeks one year
of funding.
Avian Influenza: WCS continued to work closely with Mercy
Corps/Mongolia and the USAID mission on plans to expand avian influenza surveillance
and preparedness in Mongolia.
Judicial Reform Project (JRP) Update
National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
SO2: MORE EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
Wiring the Prosecutors Offices: JRP provided ten computers
to the last prosecutors’ offices that had none. All prosecutors’
offices are now automated; they are running the “prosecutor software”,
and will be prepared for fuller automation later this year. Three computers
were also provided to court accountants to improve budgeting processes.
SIU Website: Programming for the Special Investigative Unit
(SIU) website was completed. The website will go on line in April, when the
SIU will place information on the website and be able to receive complaints
from the public over it.
Court Decision Writing: The JRP and the GTZ jointly conducted
two training sessions on court decision-writing using the manual sponsored by
the JRP. The first training was for the trainers who will in turn teach judges
nationwide this spring and summer, and the second was for Supreme Court Justices
and staff. The Supreme Court has adopted the JRP manual as the mandatory standard
for decision writing.
Office of the Prosecutor General: JRP Project Director Heike
Gramckow visited Mongolia in March and led a two-day follow up seminar with
the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor General, helping them add detail,
specificity, and time considerations to their action plan. The 18-point action
plan was a result of the study tour to Australia earlier this year where they
were shown the Offices of the Directors of Public Prosecutions for New South
Wales and Canberra. It addresses ways to improve the management/organization
structures, policies and procedures of the Office of the Prosecutor General
of Mongolia.
Legal Hour: TV-9 continues to broadcast the new season of
“Huuliin Tsag” (Legal Hour) produced by JRP in cooperation with
GTZ. TV-9 broadcasts the show for free as a public service to educate the public
about their legal rights.
Detainee Rights: The JRP poster “Detention Center and
Rights of Detainees and Suspects” was distributed in March, and has already
been sighted in police stations.
Court Performance Standards: Susannne DiPietro taught a three
hour workshop on Trial Court Performance Standards for 20 Chief Judges and their
administrative assistants in March. The workshop included general information
about court management models and principles.
Mongolian Electoral and Parliamentary Support Project (MEPS) Update
International Republican Institute (IRI)
SO2: MORE EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
Meeting with MP Dondog: On March 13, IRI staff met MP Dondog,
Chairman of the State Structure Committee and one of the major MPs working to
establish independent committees within the SGH—an idea suggested by IRI.
MP Dondog said that ethical rules for MP's have been scheduled for discussion
during the spring session of the State Great Hural (SGH), and that the Committee
Rules provisions are likely to be discussed during the spring session.
Meeting with US Embassy, USAID and Key Women Politicians: On
March 16, IRI helped the US Embassy organize a meeting between U.S. Ambassador
Slutz and USAID Representative Waskin with the chairs of the women’s organizations
of the MPRP, Democratic Party (DP), Citizen’s Will Party, and Motherland
Party. The chairs briefed the Ambassador on plans for a “Women’s
Partnership in Politics and Governance” forum in 2006, and exchanged opinions
on the current political situation in Mongolia. The challenges and opportunities
facing women politicians in light of the passage of 30% quota for women candidates’
provision in SGH election law were also discussed.
Work with Key Women Politicians: On March 23, IRI met with
the chairs of the women’s organizations of the MPRP, DP, Citizen’s
Will Party, and Motherland Party to discuss issues of mutual cooperation for
the second quarter of 2006. It was agreed at the meeting to publish and distribute
the first “Women in Mongolian Politics” quarterly bulletin in late
April. IRI will fund the printing of 8000-10000 bulletins, and the political
parties will be responsible for distribution of the bulletins to women activists
and for publicizing the “Women’s Partnership in Politics and Governance”
forum.
Campaign Finance Proposal: In March, IRI held several meetings
with the Chair of the Voter’s Education Center (VEC) to finalize the VEC’s
proposal to IRI for an “Assessment of Campaign Finance legislation of
Mongolia” and recommendations for implementing the campaign finance legislation.
Conflict of Interest: IRI worked on a manual entitled “MP’s
Ethics: Conflict of Interest”. The manual was printed in late
March and it includes speeches delivered by then-Chair of the Standing Committee
on State Structure MP S.Batbold, and Maryland General Assembly Ethics Advisor
Bill Sommerville. Fifty copies of the manual will be distributed to MPs in April.
Mongolia Anti-corruption Support Project (MACS) Update
The Asia Foundation (TAF)
SO2: MORE EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
Anti-Corruption Benchmarking Survey: The Asia Foundation completed
data collection in March on the anti-corruption benchmarking survey that will
assist in monitoring and evaluating the progress of the GOM and civil society
in combating corruption. Sant Maral/Transparency International conducted the
first of the semi-annual surveys in five aimags, with a total sample size of
1030. Preliminary examination of the raw data are generally encouraging, indicating
a very high level of awareness and strong public inclination to participate
in anti-corruption activities. Sant Maral will prepare draft analysis that will
be presented to USAID on April 17, following which a major public roll-out of
the survey will be held.
Anti-Corruption Conference in Malaysia: TAF accompanied a
five-member delegation to an ADB/OEC-sponsored anti-corruption conference held
in Kuala Lumpur in late March. Representatives from 26 countries participated,
and examined specific bilateral and multilateral initiatives related to the
extradition of persons, and to the freezing, seizing, and return of assets.
One day was spent with the Anti-Corruption Agency of Malaysia. The purpose of
the consultations was to better integrate Mongolia in regional and international
forums related to anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, and to inform ongoing
work related to the drafting of anti-corruption legislation and the establishment
of an anti-corruption agency.
International Collaboration on Capacity Building: Preliminary
agreement was reached in March with Hong Kong’s Independent Commission
Against Corruption (ICAC) and with Malaysia’s Anti-corruption Agency to
support bilateral training and capacity-building exchanges. The first of these
will occur in early May when about three Mongolian delegates will travel to
Hong Kong to focus on operational and technical considerations related to establishment
of Mongolia’s Anti-corruption Agency.
Parliamentary Briefings: Preliminary plans have been laid
for an early May briefing of three parliamentary audiences on the Malaysia consultations;
observations and feedback on the current draft of the anti-corruption law; and
presentation of the benchmarking survey. The three audiences will include the
MPRP and Democratic Party caucuses, the Legislative Standing Committee, and
the Anti-Corruption Working Group. A senior delegation of UNODC experts and
TAF will make presentations to these groups.
Training, Advocacy and Networking (TAN) Project Update
Mercy Corps International
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
Community Mobilization. To help civil society organizations
(CSOs) build closer ties with their communities and become recognized community
leaders, the TAN Project focuses on community mobilization activities in selected
baghs (districts) in target aimags in March. Following training on community
mobilization, CSO representatives and community leaders undertook a bagh needs
assessment which identified a range of priority issues: lack of public showers,
the need for children’s leisure center, the need for bagh development
centers, the quality of public services, access to public services, civic participation
in decision-making, access to drinking water, and planting of trees to slow
sand creep.
CSO Capacity Building. Representatives from 35 core CSOs from
the target aimags were trained in customer service improvement skills in March.
The participants conducted surveys reaching around 540 customers of CSOs using
self-designed questionnaires. Following the surveys, focus group meetings were
held. Eighteen CSOs developed service improvement measures to be included in
their organizational development plans, and seventeen CSOs visited CSOs in other
aimags to share information. On their return home, CSOs will conduct surveys
and focus group meetings with their customers and develop service improvement
measures.
Procurement Research and Technical Assistance. With support
from Peace Corps volunteers, TAN is conducting an evaluation of the public procurement
project that was implemented in Uvurhangai. The questionnaire has been developed
to collect feedback from the government agencies, CSOs, and their clients on
participation in the project. TAN discussed future ways of cooperation with
the Procurement Policy and Coordination Department (PPCD) of the Ministry of
Finance in March, and the PPCD agreed to coordinate with the Ulaanbaatar Procurement
Development Center and TAN on the delivery of procurement training for CSOs
in the target aimags.
Community REACH HIV/AIDS Update
PACT
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
Living Under the Same Sun: The TV production for Living under
the Same Sun has now begun under acclaimed Mongolian director Batchimeg. The
series is being shot in the Gate restaurant, MCS Coca Cola factory, and other
select outside locations. PACT attended the shootings, and began working with
Mongolian singer-songwriter Otgoo on a theme song for the series. The series
will be launched at the end of April, and is expected to be broadcast on TV9.
National Aids Foundation (NAF): PACT signed a sub-grant with
NAF in March, and that organization began initial preparatory work on its planned
HIV/AIDS prevention sub-project that will work with the high-risk/most-at-risk
populations (MARP) in Mongolia. Potential non-governmental organization (NGO)
and community-based organization (CBO) partners were identified and selected
based on NAF's NGO selection criteria. Major priorities for the selection process
included prior experience working with the community, long-term commitment,
community participation, and leadership demonstrated in HIV/AIDS prevention.
Two community-based HIV/AIDS prevention proposals for MARPs have been developed,
one in Darkhan and the other in Ulaanbaatar. NAF provided technical support
in designing a comprehensive prevention program, including budgeting, for two
CBOs to carry out the projects, the main activities of which will be outreach
and peer-to-peer education. The projects will also enhance the capacity of the
CBOs, since their sustainability is of major importance.
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