ULAN BATOR, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Thursday promised to make greater efforts to promote national development and improve people's living standards.
Khurelsukh made the remarks after he was re-elected for a second four-year term as prime minister of Mongolia. His MPP won a landslide victory in last week's parliamentary elections, taking 62 of 76 seats in parliament.
The prime minister emphasized four goals to be achieved in the coming four years.
Firstly, Mongolia should increase and diversify its exports, said Khurelsukh.
"The way for the Mongolian economy to become debt-free, competitive and an active participant in regional trade is to increase exports," he said.
"To achieve the goal to become an exporter, Mongolia will provide policy support to domestic producers, develop mining, food and agriculture, organic food production, energy, tourism, creative industries, information technology, transportation and logistics as priority sectors, and strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors," the prime minister said. "In particular, we will work hard to support agriculture, meet domestic food demand, and become a food exporter."
The landlocked East Asian country is largely dependent on export earnings from the mining sector, with official data showing the mining industry accounts for around 90 percent of Mongolia's total exports.
The country's second goal is to eliminate bureaucracy and establish justice in society.
To achieve this goal, public services will be transferred to electronic forms by accelerating the development of the information technology and communication sectors, Khurelsukh said.
The third goal is to improve people's lives and expand the middle class.
"The core of our government's policy will be the development of Mongolians and the Mongolian family," the prime minister said.
To do this, the Mongolian government will pay special attention to providing jobs and establishing more affordable housing, implement social protection and welfare policies more effectively, and make health and education reforms, he noted.
In addition, an independent ministry of culture will be established to protect and promote national values such as national heritage, as well as historical and cultural traditions and customs, he said.
The fourth goal is to balance rural and urban development.
"The Mongolian capital Ulan Bator's population has tripled since 1990 due to rural-to-urban migration. As a result, today we are facing many challenges such as air pollution, soil pollution, and traffic congestion," Khurelsukh said.
To achieve the fourth goal, the Mongolian government will step up its efforts to improve rural infrastructure and implement fiscal and tax policies that support rural development, he added.
Khurelsukh, 52, had previously been elected as a member of parliament three times -- in 2000, 2004 and 2012. He was re-elected as legislator in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
He was deputy prime minister twice between 2014 and 2017, before becoming prime minister in October 2017. Enditem
