Electors gave their votes during the 2009’ parliament elections in their hope that they will get one million five hundred tugrugs if the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party wins the elections or one million tugrugs if the Democratic Party wins the elections, in cash from the government to be formed by one of the two parties.
When the two parties that raced to buy electors votes, formed a joint coalition cabinet after the elections, many people were happy that they will surely receive two million five hundred tugrugs from this coalition government. Unfortunately, it did not happen despite it has been fifteen months since that and desperate voters are getting angry. They even formed a so-called “People’s Movement to Demand Promises”. Our country is not economically capable and solvent to distribute 6,25 trillion tugrugs, which outnumbers our a year’s GDP, to each population.
The two political parties ruling the state jointly have calculated, not before making this promise but after being pushed and demanded by citizens to keep the promise, if it is possible to pay the promised money to the citizens, and have realized later that they are not able keep their promises and pay the money. The only thing the two parties think of now is how to cheat a population by giving little money and it is a big headache for them. They tried to shut the mouth of people by distributing US$100 million, which received from Ivanhoe Mines as advance payment from the income of Oyu-Tolgoi mine in credit with 10 percent interest rate per year, to every citizen under the Human Development Fund passed in rash. In the first phase, Tg70,000 were distributed to every children, disabled people and elders.
The first 70,000s were spent by these beneficiaries for buying cheap and low-quality goods from Erliang, China because it was paid in cash on the eve of Lunar New Year Holiday called Tsagaan Saar. A shamed on coalition parties do not care the difference between understandings about the care and development. Originally, the Human Development Fund should not be a care fund, but must help and assist Mongolian people perfectly develop them physiologically and physically. Unfortunately, the objective of this Human Development Fund is ‘to create money accumulation from mining income and distribute it to population in equal way’. The most appropriate name for this fund would be or can be the Fund of Attempt of a Political Party to Buy Electors Votes In Illegal Way. Article 17 of the Law on Human Development Fund states that citizens can benefit from the Fund in different ways such as a pension or health insurance premium, or a grant for purchasing dwelling apartment, or a payment for medical service or in cash.
This law is about the state fund which account is not clear where is it, how much money is in it and it is not clear when the Fund will be beneficial. The government’s idea for human development by disappearing the existing funds and passing a new law for another fund is exactly same to capital city administration, which sold lands of existing kindergartens and is now demanding donations for construct new kindergartens, with no shame.
It would be much believable if the income from mineral exploration will be used for the improvement of health and education services, if they want to support and provide human development. No matter how it is called or named elegantly, the allowance is the money to feed poor people for short period of time. No matter you receive social allowance, no one in the world have lived in wealth. The only benefit from this is that the politicians, who promised such allowance, get elected.
The social allowance indeed means the transfer of income in its wide sense. It is like we collect income from one group of people as tax and distribute it to other groups. Such kind of work is never done efficiently and beneficially. The reason is the Government has never been a good manager. It would be much efficient and beneficial if religious, charity and other non-governmental organizations do allowance works because they are more aware of local peculiarities and target beneficiaries, rather than the government.
In other countries, the donations purposed for such allowance is exempted from tax after thorough inspection and assertion. Originally, everyman must create and earn their income on their own. This means the creation and supply of products and service demanded by other people. Countries develop when government does not hinder the citizens earning their income on their own and support their income-making where necessary. Lost fund should be found and politicians should forget their goal to raise their political authority and this Fund should focus on supporting and encouraging any development actions required for developing Mongolian people.
Translated by P.Shinebayar
UB PostFriday, April 02, 2010