PM MEETS AIMAG'S AUTHORITIES AND LEADERS OF COMPANIES

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ In frames a working tour to Dornod aimag, the Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag has heard reports from the aimag's authorities and leaders of the biggest companies on activities of oil extraction. Since the “Soko” company began oil extraction in 1993, four companies have been carrying out oil extractions on six areas so far under a production-sharing contract, for example, the “PetroChina Daqing Tamsag” LLC is extracting oil in Matad and Khalkhgol soum, the “Petromatad” LLC--in Matad soum, the “NPI” LLC--in Gurvanzagal, Choibalsan and Bayantumen soums, and the “Magnai Trade” LLC--in Bayantumen, Bulgan, Sergelen, Tsagaan-Ovoo and Choibalsan soums. The Premier received a report from the “PetroChina Daqin Tamsag” LLC, which is running the extraction on the largest area, and introduced the company's heads to the governmental policies and activities on oil extraction and production. The company promised to intensify the great construction, to make a proper environmental rehabilitation, to augment job places, and to focus on trainings, but elected from Dornod Kh.Bolorchuluun and N.Nomtoibayar MPs criticized some matters related to the company, particularly highighting problems in labour force. The Premier ordered the aimag's authority to stop receiving donations from the oil extracting companies. “These donations given to the aimag must be transparent and be given according to official rule,” he stressed. After this, the Premier laid a foundation stone of an oil refinery to be erected in Bulgan soum, which will process 120 thousand tons oil a year to provide three aimags with petroleum. The same day, Premier held a meeting with the aimag's authorities and administrative officials. There are many problems in Dornod aimag, few of them must be tackled urgently, the authorities said. For example, the aimag wants to receive a financing from the state budget for running a 180-km electric line from Tamsag to Khalkhgol soums, to exempt the aimag from a debt of MNT 3.3 billion which has been given as a loan for a project on improving the public services of local centers. This project has been implemented with a soft loan of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The authorities also said pipelines of Choibalsan city should be renovated urgently because of expansion of ger area in the aimag's center. Altankhuyag said the cabinet will reply to these requests soon after having studied investment proposals. B.Khuder