Winners help herders to sell their produce
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (ot.mn) Oyu Tolgoi’s 3rd annual Supplier Recognition Award ceremony, known as Gobi Gem 2011 was held last week. The 20 best Oyu Tolgoi suppliers were recognized and awarded for their efforts in training the local workforce, and their valuable contribution to infrastructure and the economic development of Mongolia. One award singled out the company that had contributed most to local social and economic development.
Herders NGO “Khanbogd Altan Nutag” that represents the local herders of Khanbogd soum, (the town near the Oyu Tolgoi mine) was selected as Best Supplier that contributed to social and local economic development. The NGO was recognized for its work in improving living standards of local herders and its contribution to tangible economic growth.
B.Unurzaya, the CEO of the NGO said: “We are happy that Oyu Tolgoi is not only concentrating on developing the mine, but that it also supports increasing herders’ income levels, which is a key indicator for local herders" sustainable livelihood.”
Unurzaya continued: “Our NGO acted as a bridge between Oyu Tolgoi and local herders during the last year. We helped to supply Oyu Tolgoi with milk and dairy products prepared by 84 local herder families using traditional dairy processing methods. In 2011, the herder families sold 60 million tugrigs worth of product to Oyu Tolgoi and this significantly improved the household income of the herders. “
Bayarsaihan Tumurdavaa, Oyu Tolgoi Vice President, Regional Development and Social Performance said: “Altan Nutag is one of the most important participants in the Oyu Tolgoi program to support livelihood of the herders. The NGO provided opportunities for local herders to sell their milk and dairy products at the highest price. The NGO never sought any profit for itself. For this, the NGO is recognized as 2011 Best Supplier for Local Social and Economic development”.
Oyu Tolgoi is spending 30bn MNT on development around the South Gobi, and currently employs 879 workers in the Khanbogd soum.
About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (www.ot.mn)
Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Ivanhoe Mines (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Ivanhoe Mines and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.
Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.
Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion tugriks) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion tugriks) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia
Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.
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