Posted on 1/1/2008

Senior Program Manager Jeff Goodson is expected to return in early February from home leave. The USAID Mongolia Representative returned from leave early January, and immediately was involved in planning and preparations for the 28-29 January 2008 Government of Mongolia (GoM) – External Partners Technical Meeting in Ulaanbaatar. The Meeting was attended by Ambassadors, representatives from bilateral/multilateral donors and IFIs, and foreign/domestic private sector and NGO representatives. The Meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance with participation by key members of the GoM Cabinet of Ministers and Parliament.

In the mining and heavy industry session, GoM and concerned NGO and for-profit private sector representatives spoke to the constraints facing the sector. Donors and the private sector alike urged the GoM to adopt a more transparent legal & regulatory framework that meets international standards, safeguards the rights of both domestic and foreign investors, and protects the environment and affected communities. U.S. Ambassador Mark Minton summarized the USG’s expectation that the GoM, in its own strategic interests, will continue the past trend of rapid policy reform emphasizing market-led economic growth and private investment, especially in the strategic minerals sector.

In the infrastructure and wrap up sessions of the GoM-External Partners Technical Meeting, the USAID Representative framed key issues—including electrical and heating tariffs, and the dilapidated condition of energy sector assets—using inputs provided by the Mission's EPRC Project. In the same meeting, and for the first time, GoM counterparts publicly acknowledged that the energy and heating sectors were bankrupt.