| BCM Monthly Meeting Recap - September 29 |
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The BCM monthly meeting for Members was held on September 29, as usual at 5 PM at the Open Society Forum. Among those attending were the two new members, Eurasia Capital Mongolia and National Life Insurance. Their joining raises membership strength to 110. BCM has now completed one year and members should start paying their annual renewal dues. In the absence of the Ambassador, the US Embassy report was presented by Economic/Commercial Section Chief Vincent D. Spera. This mentioned the recent visit of Ms. Michelle O’Neal, US Deputy Undersecretary of Trade and Commerce. She was accompanied by representatives of 10 companies in fields as diverse as geophysics, cashmere, and film restoration. They held exploratory talks with Government and business representatives. The embassy has now started issuing immigrant visas here. Earlier Mongolians had to go to Seoul to obtain this. The availability of this new facility signifies the growing engagement of the USA and Mongolia in spheres other than just the commercial. Tsagaan and his colleague, Oyuna, from the Bumrungrad International Hospital Representative Office here gave a presentation on the world-class Bangkok hospital and mentioned the services they provide for intending patients in Ulaanbaatar. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission International in the USA, is run by a US-led international management team, and treats over one million patients every year from 190 countries. The office here can be reached at 976-11-317177. The Fax No. is 976-11-331356, and their Email ID is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Randy Myer of Wagner Asia Equipment presented their plans to set up a vocational training institute, possibly as part of the Millennium Challenge program which will grant US$25 million for vocational training. Mongolia has no worthwhile expert labor pool, mainly because the existing training centers have not kept pace with fast-changing technological developments. The needs of industries cannot be met locally, and so skilled labor has to be imported. The goal is to provide a “best-in-class blue-collar workforce”, trained in the classroom and on the job. Things are still at a preliminary stage but the institute is to be a public-private partnership project, and four dealers of foreign machinery and cars are likely to be included. The National University of Mongolia is expected to be the public sector partner. So far only automotive technology and power equipment courses, coupled with an English language course, are planned, and this should be open for the first 75 students in January 2009. They will graduate in September 2010. Members including Keith Marshall of Ivanhoe Mines asked for inclusion of courses that would train Mongolians to work in the mining sector. Mr. Myer said this would be possible only after corporate partnerships were put in place. The Millennium Challenge Corporation is at present studying several models of how the program can be planned to best serve the needs of both investors and the prospective workforce. This was the first monthly meeting offering teleconferencing facilities for members not able to attend in person.
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Monthly Meeting Recap BCM Monthly Meeting Recap - September 29