Prime Minister S.Batbold yesterday met with representatives of professional unions, NGOs and companies active in the construction sector and heard their views and suggestions on how to successfully implement the 100,000 Apartments program. There was agreement that the construction sector had an important role to play in the country’s economic and social development and could contribute to reduction of poverty, unemployment and air pollution. As the sector developed in the coming years it was important to ensure that Mongolian construction companies and producers of building materials employing local workers got a larger share of the work.

Members of the Union of Building Material Manufacturers gave an assurance that they would neither charge more for their material for the project nor lower quality. Batbold said that this was his first meeting with sector representatives since December, 2009, and he felt happy that construction activities have picked up in this period. The Government would provide all support to domestic factories and companies but only if they maintained proper quality and standards.