- “We tend to see everything through a political prism and this must give way to dispassionate and nonpartisan debate. Big projects can no longer wait for us to reach a political consensus.”
D. Zorigt, Minister of Minerals and Energy.
- “There are limits on how much the Mongolian Government can do. If they own 100% of Tavan Tolgoi, that will put it in the driver’s seat but will also put a lot of stress on the ministries. As other mining projects start up, there will be a limit on how many projects the Government can handle simultaneously.”
Alisher Ali Djumanov, chief executive of Eurasia Capital.
- “You have to have revenues coming from somewhere and that is going to come from mining. If you do dodgy deals, then, yes, you will have a problem, but I don’t think Mongolia should be holding back”
Arshad Sayed, Country Representative of the World Bank.
- “The Mongolian budget is twice as as it was 20 years ago, GDP has increased 50%, but the poverty percentage remains constant. This is despite the fact 11 percent of the increased GDP is now spent on welfare allowances, rising from 7% some years ago. This shows the need to change the approach to poverty reduction. Cash handouts have failed to produce sustainable results.”
Mrs. S. Oyun, the Civil Will MP.
- “We do not expect any action on Tavan Tolgoi anytime soon. It would take time for the Government to work through all the decisions needed to go ahead. We do not mind the delay as we already have plenty of work in Mongolia. It’ll probably suit us if it’s a bit slower. When they do announce that that mine will go ahead, we will be the contractor.”
Wal King, chief executive of Leighton Holdings.
- “If you go to most developing countries, they’ll tell you, ‘We’re saved; we’ve found uranium.’ Mongolia has a president who says, ‘We are in grave danger because we have discovered we have a lot of natural resources.’ The fact that they are forewarned gives you hope.”
Hernando de Soto, Peruvian economist.
- “Mongolia is not China. Bad practices will be made public and demonstrations will occur. Foreign miners entering Mongolia know that both the Government and the press are watching – public opinion is a factor in Mongolia. And to help ease concerns the Government is encouraging local mining companies to modernize and compete. The foreign miners are bringing a lot of money into what is still generally a poor country, so it is interesting to note that the Government has not simply grabbed the cash, but is remaining cautious.”
Paul French, of the Ethical Corporation.
- “The plan to raise USD1.2 billion by selling bonds in international capital markets is a romantic dream of the Minister of Finance.”
B. Lkhagvajav, Head of the National Soyombo movement.
- “We are trying to build a bridge and a mechanism between the Government and the public and the private sectors so that we hear each other.”
S. Batbold, Prime Minister
- “Yes, MPs do employ various stratagems to get more State investment in their electoral constituencies, but in many cases, they are also the people who best know the needs of their constituencies.”
Ch. Khurelbaatar, Minister and Head of the Cabinet Secretariat.
- “Our company places the utmost importance on labor safety, followed by protection of the environment, with profit coming only after these two. The company never compromises on safe working conditions for every individual employee and on maintaining a general environment stressing safety, either to save money or to increase profits.”
D. Battumur, head of the trade union at Boroo Gold.
- “Despite the volatility of the past year, we still believe that we are experiencing a secular uplift in demand for commodities. Our long-term outlook remains strong as China, followed by India, continues to urbanize and industrialize over the next two decades. We have emerged from the past year a leaner and more flexible business.”
Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto CEO.
- “Information provided by the South Korean Government to Korean firms on the various ethnic groups they hire could accentuate racial bias. The ministry tells employers that Mongolians are ‘very independent, simple and tend to be relaxed’, and ‘they have a tendency to drink more than other laborers from other regions’.”
A Reuters report.
- “The mining industry is heading for larger-scale projects, and our own focus is on tier-one assets. These are never small. A tier-one asset is like the Messiah, you can’t define it, but you know it when you see it.”
Marius Kloppers, BHP Billiton CEO.