During its meeting on June 8, Cabinet discussed the issues facing Ulaanbaatar, and decided to address issues comprehensively.

Cabinet decided to spend 420 billion MNT a year to solve issues in Ulaanbaatar during its extended meeting on May 10. For more than a month, the prime minister and other officials visited six districts of the city, and its work report was discussed at the meeting.

In connection with the prime minister’s work in Ulaanbaatar, the relevant ministers were tasked to address the cost of road tunnels to reduce traffic congestion, increase landscaping along the Selbe River, include funds for construction of Belkh and Selkhi flood protection dams in the 2022 state budget, and develop and present a proposal to develop the area around Gandantegchinlen Monastery in the 16th khoroo of Bayangol District as a cultural tourism zone.

Cabinet also plans to provide early health screening once a year. In particular, it is planned to provide annual health screening for people over 18 years of age.

During the meeting, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene instructed to work on developing a national program, creating an electronic database of medical examinations’ information, and making the information internationally recognized.

According to Cabinet, in the first years, the incidence of diseases will increase and the workload of health sectors will increase. However, it is estimated that providing health education to citizens and inculcating healthy and active lifestyle habits will improve the quality and access to public health care services for a healthy population.

Moreover, Cabinet decided to take comprehensive measures related to people with disabilities.

In this regard, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene instructed the relevant ministers to comprehensively address the issues and gave the following directions.

• To develop and approve new programs and plans from 2022.

• Step-by-step training of sign language interpreters.

• Unemployment benefits for people with disabilities should be used only to support the employment of people with disabilities.

• To provide them with job, vocational training and learning environment, and increase the number of students in cooperation with non-governmental organizations.

• To improve early detection of disability.

• To introduce comprehensive education services.

• To implement a housing sub-program.

• To equip public transportation, buildings, streets and squares in a way that is friendly to people with disabilities.

• To support them from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

Business entities and organizations with 25 or more employees must employ people with disabilities in four or more percent of their positions. Organizations pay a fee if they do not employ a person with a disability. The prime minister called on businesses to pay more attention to hiring rather than paying a fee.

During the meeting, the prime minister also appointed Head of the Center for Universal Development and Independent Living Ch.Undrakhbayar as a part-time advisor on social protection and development, and will appoint him as a full-time advisor within a month.

There are 108,000 people with disabilities in Mongolia, or 3.2 percent, of the population. Nationwide, 13,629 people with disabilities are employed. From next year, disability development centers will be opened in Ulaanbaatar, as well as Arkhangai, Darkhan-Uul, Dornod, Dundgovi, Khovd and Khuvsgul provinces.

Moreover, at the meeting, a permanent working group chaired by State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs N.Ankhbayar was established until a port’s operations return to normal.

Traffic on the Zamiin-Uud-Erenhot route has been disrupted due to the Chinese side’s pandemic protection regime. Therefore, the prime minister instructed the working group to work full-time at the port starting this week and to resolve the situation promptly.