Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, February 9, 2012
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is working with the Mongolian government to promote international food safety standards, helping local food business operators improve competitiveness and increase exports.
Together with Mongolia’s Parliament, Office of the President, and the General Agency for Specialized Inspections, IFC is sponsoring the Food Safety International Conference, which opens today in Ulaanbaatar. IFC experts and international speakers will share food safety best practices with some 70 participants, including food inspectors and operators, regulators, and scientists. The conference follows a food safety round table discussion with 25 Members of Parliament and senior government officials on February 8.
“Mongolia has made great progress in drafting a food safety law. The experience of other countries enables us to bring our food safety law in line with international best practices”,” said D. Terbishdagva, President of the Mongolian Food Industry Association and a Member of Parliament.
IFC has worked with the General Agency for Specialized Inspections to introduce risk-based inspections such as the use of checklists as part of efforts to integrate international best practices into Mongolia’s inspection system.
“Adoption of a new food safety law will deepen and accelerate ongoing inspections reform. It helps food businesses to better understand their responsibilities and reduces regulatory burden so they can operate more productively,” said Sodkhuu Rentsen, Chairman of the General Agency for Specialized Inspections.
Launched in 2009, IFC’s business inspection reform program helps the government make inspection rules and practices more transparent, efficient, and less costly.
“Both inspections and food safety reforms help small food businesses to be more competitive and open up new markets for their products.” said Hyun-Chan Cho, IFC Country Manager for China and Mongolia, “IFC is keen to continue improving business climate in Mongolia to help small and medium enterprises grow.”
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets. In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, we helped our clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities—all while driving our investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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