The
aim of the recent Competitive Mongolia exhibition was to demonstrate that a
“strong Mongolia can be established only by allowing domestic producers, goods
and service providers to participate in the grand development of mining in the
Mongolian Gobi”, according to its joint organizers, the Mongolian National
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Mongol 999 national consortium. A
large number of domestic companies in such diverse fields as mining, construction,
catering, light industry, brokerage, dealership etc., including small and
medium enterprises, participated in the fair, asserting their claim that the
present practice of choosing only foreign companies as suppliers is harmful to
the national economy as all the profits are exported.

According to L.Ariunbold, Executive director of
Mongol 999, domestic industries represent the Mongolian people and, as such,
deserve “strategic support” from the government, “without which, no matter what
our capacity is, we cannot succeed”. He stressed the need for longer-term bank
credit on easier terms to support “Mongolians’ courage and belief in
themselves”, and for the government to restrict certain areas to only domestic
companies. He hoped the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed with
officials of the European Council would bring in more capital for Mongolian
entrepreneurs to increase their competitiveness.