Posted on 1/22/2009

Mongolia experienced the normal December lull.  Many USAID staff and its contractor chiefs-of-party, grantee country representatives as well as public and private sector Mongolia counterparts took leave.  Nonetheless, there were two noteworthy developments.  First, the company for a national Credit Information Bureau (CIB) was formally registered. The establishment of a national CIB has long been advocated by USAID Mongolia’s EPRC Project.  The inaugural shareholders’ meeting held in mid December 2008 elected a Board of Directors and the first board meeting is scheduled for 9 January 2009.  Secondly, the GoM’s Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC), established with the support of the Mission’s MACS Project, continues to pursue corruption cases successfully. On December 19,  a former minister and MP received a four-year prison sentence from the court.  A court date was scheduled in January for trying the case of a former Chairman of National Emergency Management Agency. Another IAAC case, which is related to the former governor of Mongolbank, was also sent to the court.