"OT LLC TO CELEBRATE SUPPLIERS' ACHIEVEMENTS"

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Oyu Tolgoi LLC will recognise the achievements of the hundreds of Mongolian suppliers who are helping to develop Mongolia's world class mining project, and the annual Gobi Gem Awards will take place Wednesday at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ulaanbaatar. About it was published Wednesday on the OT's website. In order to maximise economic growth and jobs, OT sources as many products and services as possible within Mongolia. In 2012, 67 per cent of OT's suppliers were Mongolian and the company plans to increase this further in the coming year, according to the website. OT president and CEO Cameron McRae said: “For several years, we have used the Gobi Gem Awards to celebrate the success of our suppliers. In the past year, we have worked with many more Mongolian companies, making Gobi Gem 2012 even bigger and better than before. These awards recognise the hard work of all of the companies who are working with us to deliver a brighter future for Mongolia”, according to the website. “By ensuring that we maximise the money that we spend in Mongolia, we increase income for the Government and develop the skills and businesses that the economy needs. It is extraordinary to see how far we have come in the last two years. As we enter commercial production this year, we hope that Gobi Gem will inspire even more Mongolian businesses to work with us.” The website went on that in its fourth year, the Gobi Gem awards celebrate successes in nine categories, from small& medium Omnogobi suppliers to large Mongolian national companies. This year, a total of 29 companies are nominated for awards, from the hundreds who have worked with OT in in 2012. The nominations range from small businesses supplying equipment, to major national construction firms, it said. "The event is the culmination of a year of success for OT, which produced its first copper concentrate at the end of January. This was the result of years of work and billions of dollars of investment. In order to create a secure and sustainable national supply chain, wherever possible, OT uses Mongolian businesses to provide the goods and services that it needs," according to the website. "Between 2010 and 2012, OT spent 1.4 trillion MNT (USD 1.1 billion) buying products and services from Mongolian companies. Even when it is not possible to find a supplier in Mongolia, OT offers training and consultancy to Mongolian and Omnogobi businesses to help them successfully bid for tenders in the future." In 2012, 67 per cent of OT's suppliers were Mongolian and the company has strong targets to increase this in the coming years, according to the website. B.Khuder