During its plenary session on May 15, Speaker of Parliament G.Zandanshatar announced that the regular spring session of 2020 is being adjourned in accordance with Article 29.14 of the Act of Parliament.
“The regular spring session lasted 30 days, with Parliament and standing committee meeting 73 times and temporary committee meeting twice, discussing and approving more than 120 bills and documents. Meetings were held with an average attendance of 66 percent under quarantine and restrictions, and was highly productive in a short period of time,” he said.
Last week, Parliament adopted several bills. In particular, on May 15, Parliament ratified the amendment to a resolution during its first consideration.
Last month, Parliament passed the resolution aiming to support the herders’ income and domestic production of cashmere during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this frame, herders will be given 20,000 MNT in inventive for every kilogram of cashmere supplies, at the cost of over 200 billion MNT.
Based on the responses of herding households in the 2019 livestock census data, the amount of cashmere will be calculated according to the Mongolian goat breed and groups-general requirements MNS 0550:2011 standard and the incentives will be transferred to the bank account of each herder. In 2019, 70.9 million livestock were counted nationwide, of which 29.3 million were goats.
The resolution was approved with 100 percent votes.
Amendments to Health Law approved
On the same day, lawmaker Ts.Tsogzolmaa introduced the amendments to the Health Law.
The amendments to the Health Law will reportedly create a favorable legal environment to provide primary health care to citizens regardless of their jurisdiction, reduce the concentration of basic and specialized care in accordance with the needs of the population and regional development policy, and create conditions for high-quality, accessible and fast delivery of health services to the citizens regardless of distance and time.
Cable Car project supported
On May 14, Parliament passed a bill on the financial agreement to be established between the governments of Mongolia and France for the Cable Car project.
To introduce a new type of public transport service in Ulaanbaatar and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar has been collaborating with Poma Company of France to implement a Cable Car transport project since April 2019.
The project will be funded through a 60 million USD from the French government, with a 40 year-term, and 12-year grace period.
Under the project, a cable car system will be built in two main routes in Ulaanbaatar. The first 4.9 kilometer route with three stops will link Bayankhoshuu-KhanynMaterial-National Traumatology Center, and the second route will be 5.4 kilometer long with three stops, connecting Doloon Buudal-Dari Ekh-Sansar. The total cost is expected to be 25.3 million EUR.
The overall purpose of the project is to improve public transport service and increase their variety and accessibility, develop tourism, and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
There were no lawmakers to question or speak on the bill. The bill received 62.7 percent approval from Parliament.
New satellite city Aerocity’s name changed to Shine Zuunmod
On the same day, Parliament approved a resolution submitted by Cabinet on urban development, consenting to build new satellite cities of Shine Zuunmod and Maidar in Sergelen soum of Tuv Province, near the new international airport of Ulaanbaatar currently under development in Khushig Valley.
The resolution aims to reduce air, water and soil pollution caused by overpopulation in Ulaanbaatar, develop certain sectors of the economy in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, and to create favorable conditions for citizens to work and live in a healthy and safe environment. In this regard, Shine Zuunmod and Maidar satellite cities will be established.
With the establishment of the new cities, domestic migration to Ulaanbaatar will be mitigated, according to Cabinet. Furthermore, it is also expected to eliminate the negative impact on public health caused by rapid urbanization, while creating a safe and healthy living environment, and improving the accessibility of health care service and assistance, as well as the service quality of infrastructure.
The government’s proposal to change the name of the satellite city Aerocity to New Zuunmod was also approved during the session. 82.6 percent of members of Parliament who attended the session approved the draft resolution.
Resolution on ‘Vision-2050’ development policy ratified
On May 13, Parliament approved “Vision-2050" long-term development policy of Mongolia.
The government believes that there is a necessity to develop a long-term development policy document that summarizes the past 30 years and envisions the next 30 years. Mongolia's long-term development policy has nine fundamental goals and 50 objectives, and will be carried out in three periods: 2020-2030, 2031-2040, and 2041-2050.
The working group preparing the resolution for discussion submitted a number of fundamental amendments. For example, Appendix 1 of the draft resolution was amended to be read as “Vision: By 2050, Mongolia will be a ‘Leading country in Asia’ in terms of social and economic growth in the region”. In line with this, the “Vision-2050” long term policy document of Mongolia was amended to reflect the views of Parliament members and the word “middle class” in the relevant part of the appendix was changed to “those with low and middle income”.
