The Mongolian Employers’
Federation (MEF) recently organized a conference to mark the 20th anniversary
of the revival of the private sector in Mongolia. It honored 20 pioneering
enterprises and identified 50 new products to hit the market in recent years. Only
about 35,000 of the 65,000 business enterprises registered in the country are
functioning, but an unofficial study has found that they employ 86% of the
total work force and produces 70% of the GDP.

Referring to this, Kh.
Ganbaatar, Executive Director and Deputy President of the MEF, told the
conference that the private sector is the main engine of economic growth in Mongolia,
and expressed concern that the role of small and medium enterprises is
overshadowed by the attention given to mining. “Everybody talks about the 3,000
jobs Oyu Tolgoi would provide, as if there is no other avenue of employment. In
fact, our members can immediately find work for 14,000 people, with just a
little help from the authorities,” Ganbaatar said.