Page 36 - UNIDO SECiM - 2020 Highlights

CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENTS

During the project implementation period following challenges were encountered. These are:
• COVID 19 pandemic has slowed downed the project execution speed, however, all
planned hands on trainings in the field were successfully carried out through online
and COVID safe methods.
• All plans to receive in-country international experts and project managers were
cancelled due to the COVID 19 travel restrictions. However, online working solutions
were made for recruiting international technical experts.
• Change of MoFALI Ministers and department directors including the SECiM focal
point led the NPC to rebuild the relationships and coordination. Fortunately, it took
much faster than expected and the project activities were well lined and coordinated
with MOFALI.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

For the remaining period of the SECIM project until end of January 2021 the ongoing
interventions with MALI, RDILI and international and national experts under each sub-
component will be completed by 31 January, 2021. The following key activities will be
completed:

• Finalize the sub-contracted interventions on textile spinning, upgrading SFF,
• Finalize the elearning courses on FSMS, Packaging, Meat Processing and SFF
• Complete the leather industry webinars and trainings
• Prepare the project Terminal Report as per UN-UN agreement
• Hand over all physical and intellectual assets to the project counterparts and
beneficiaries
• Disseminate/archive the project results

UNIDO RESPONSE TO COVID 19

The impact and economic consequences of COVID 19 are adding to existing complexities and
creating economic hardship worldwide. In particular, the private sector business entities have
been hard-hit and even worse due to pandemic crisis. Therefore, UNIDO conducted a global
survey of “COVID-19 - Impact on manufacturing firms” among member countries and in
Mongolia it aimed to provide the rapid assessment on facing difficulties of producers and
business owners in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors and provide concrete
recommendations to the associated government agencies and development organizations.

The firm-level survey on the impact of Covid-19 was conducted for agri-business and
manufacturing micro, small, medium and large enterprises in Mongolia between April 26 and
June 12, 2020. The total number of survey respondents were 130 firms covering 80 (65%)
from Ulaanbaatar and other regions and provinces in Mongolia. The survey findings found that
above 70% of GVC firms are to close operations in 3 months, while around 20% of exporter
firms are relatively optimistic to sustain the operations in more than a year with current cash
flow to maintain the company’s operations if the current restrictions in Mongolia continue.

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