Interview

“Specific exploration squares must be offered” MRPAM Deputy Director M.Enkhjargal tells G. Iderkhangai that while stable state policy is the priority for foreign investment in the exploration sector to resume in Mongolia, some other things should also be done to woo investors.

“Large projects should progress with no political interference” E.Odjargal talks to B.Bayarsaikhan, Head of the National Development Agency, on the success or otherwise of the Public Investment Programme and other such moves in bringing in foreign direct investment, and on how to protect the investment climate from political instability.

How to remember the glory days of Nalaikh Operations at Nalaikh, the very first mine in Mongolia, were abandoned quite some time ago but artisanal miners now extract coal from there to sell to ger district households. There are considerable security risks in this and it is imperative to effectively close the mine.

How and why mining continues to be important to Australia’s economy Australia is a microcosm of the global mining experience. MMJ finds out from Robin Evans, Program Leader, Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) Transformational Learning at The University of Queensland how it is addressing environmental concerns, adopting less harmful energy options, preparing to face the challenges of climate change,adjusting to automation and other issues.

“We are aiming to establish an oil refinery plant that is most suitable to Mongolian requirements” The progress of the project to construct a grass root oil refinery plant with crude oil supply pipeline is moving forward. Since the commencement of the infrastructure project in June, 2018, a great progress has been made on the construction of road, railway, power transmission lines, and substations under short period of time.

UBTZ hopes to benefit from planned new railways E.Odjargal talks to I.V.Milostnykh, First Deputy Director, Ulaanbaatar Railway (UBTZ), about the status of its upgrading work and other issues.

Erdene Resource has built relationships of trust, study finds Erdene Resource Development describes itself as “a company that is focused on creating value for all stakeholders, doing things ‘The Erdene Way’ ”. A core element of this “Erdene way” is its commitment to make positive contributions to local economic development.

Alarming prospect of water shortage in the Gobi D.Chandmani, Head of the Altai Uvur Gobi River Basin Authority, tells G.Iderkhangai that lack of enough water in the southern Gobi is an issue of concern for not just the mines there. There are options to stop the situation getting critical but not much can be done without government support, which is lacking.

Consulting firm will run the oil refinery Following the laying of its foundation stone on 22 June, hopes are high that Mongolia will finally have the long-talked-about oil refinery. The investment of $1 billion is assured, and work should soon begin on the planned two-stage construction. G.Ider asks B.Ankhbayar, Head of the Division of Non-metallic Mineral Production at the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry, how things are at the moment.

If licences are revoked, Centerra will seek huge compensation through arbitration On 7 June, the court trying the case between Save Noyon Mountain NGO and the Cadastral Section of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRPAM) finally gave its ruling in favour of the NGO, after no fewer than 36 suspensions of hearing over some two years.

113 projects make it to national programme list E.Odjargal finds out from B.Bayarsaikhan, head of the National Development Agency, how projects are selected for inclusion in the national investment programme and the strategic goals of the “Three pillar development policy”.

Hasu Megawatt: a pioneer company growing bigger, better, and stronger Hasu Megawatt LLC is one of the Mongolian companies that are growing together with the Oyu Tolgoi project, bringing in international expertise, cutting edge technology and sophisticated know-how, and thus preparing a new generation of high-skill local professionals for the mineral sector.

Bilateral ties through Russian envoy’s eyes The Russia-Mongolia intergovernmental commission recently held its 21st meeting, where important issues were raised, as between two old friends, and important decisions taken, as would take the partnership forward in challenging times. E.Odjargal talks to long-time Russian Ambassador to Mongolia.

“Easy for ETT to raise funds on its own, but it is too early for an IPO” A mega project cannot be developed without mega investment, so where is the money going to come from if Mongolia is to present Tavan Tolgoi as one of the major mineral deposits of the world?

Gold-2: Good ideas poorly implemented G.Iderkhangai finds out from E.Enkhbat, Executive Director of the Gold Producers’ Association, why the sector thinks the Gold-2 programme is good on paper but poor in execution.

“We need a state policy built on national consensus” When P.Ochirbat, the country’s first President, academician and mining engineer, speaks, Mongolia listens. In a wide-ranging conversation with G.Iderkhangai, he speaks about issues in the mining sector.

Group studies the economics of water, and is worried Mongolia has two major water consumption areas – Ulaanbaatar and the southern Gobi region. The first has population pressure, while the second is where mining and economic activity will become more and more intense.

“Mongolians can do TAVANTOLGOI extraction work themselves” N.Ariuntuya finds out from the Executive Director of Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi, D.Ariunbold, about the present state of affairs in the company, and the likely challenges ahead. Some bold decisions are long overdue to fulfil the company’s potential but these can be taken only at the political level.

Updating the “Central Bank Law” will redefine the Central Bank’s governance As part of enrolling in the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mongolia has been committed to carrying out some important economic reforms, including that of its banking sector.