Mar 18, 2025 79 min read Daily News Summaries

Mongolia News Summary for March 18, 2025

The following news articles are the opinions of their authors and publications. They are presented here as translations for informational purposes and do not necessarily represent the opinion of MongolBeat or its members.

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Politics

BREAKING: A. Munkhtulga Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Collaborating with Foreign Intelligence

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

Previously, it was reported that Mongolian citizen B. Ariunaa was sentenced to 15 years, and E. Sarantsetseg and B. Nergui were each sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a high-security facility for collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency. Now, another Mongolian citizen, A. Munkhtulga, has also been implicated in a foreign intelligence case. Specifically, the General Intelligence Agency conducted an investigation involving A. Munkhtulga, and the prosecutor charged him under Article 19.4-2 of the Criminal Code for illegally collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency, organization, or citizen. This charge carries a sentence of 12 to 20 years or life imprisonment. The case has been transferred to court. The preliminary hearing of this case is scheduled by the first instance criminal court of Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar, and Chingeltei districts for today. A. Munkhtulga, implicated in the intelligence case, is currently detained in Detention Center No. 461. Further updates will be provided regarding the decision of the preliminary hearing. Additionally, Article 19.4 of the Criminal Code states: 2. If this crime is committed by a high-ranking government official entrusted with state secrets, or a person who learned this during official duties, they are subject to a sentence of 12 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

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The Bill to Ratify the Agreement to Increase the Capacity of Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Port to be Submitted by L. Oyun-Erdene

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

Today, the Spring Session of the State Great Hural (Parliament) opened. During this year's spring session, many issues will be discussed, such as the "Unified Budget Framework Statement for 2026" of Mongolia, the "Law on the Budget Projections for 2027-2028," and the "Plan for Mongolia's Development in 2026." At 12:30 today, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene is scheduled to submit the bill titled "On the Ratification of the Agreement Between Governments to Increase the Capacity of Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Port." After submitting the bill, Minister of Mineral Resources Ts. Tuvshin, Minister of Roads and Transport B. Delgersaikhan, Deputy Prime Minister L. Gantomor, and T. Dorjhand will provide an open briefing to journalists.

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Bill to Ratify Agreement on Increasing Capacity of Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Port Introduced

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

Prime Minister of Mongolia L. Oyun-Erdene submitted a draft law to the Chairman of the State Great Khural D. Amarbaysgalan for the ratification of the agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the cross-border railway, coal trade, and increasing the capacity of the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port. This agreement, which ranks first among the 14 mega projects announced by the government, was signed by the two parties on February 14, 2025, after obtaining basic approval from the State Great Khural. Upon ratification of this agreement, the tender for the construction of the cross-border railway at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port is planned to be announced this month. Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene expressed confidence that at the beginning of the spring session of the State Great Khural, the agreement would be ratified, allowing construction work to begin promptly. After the agreement is ratified, contracts between companies will be concluded, and work will officially commence as stipulated in the agreement. The Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod cross-border railway will be the second linkage railway built between Mongolia and China since the Zamyn-Uud-Eren railway established by the 1955 agreement. With the operation of the railway, the capacity of the port will double, coal exports will increase from an average of 83 million tons per year to 165 million tons, coal sales revenue will increase by $1.5 billion annually, and the GDP per capita target of reaching $10,000 will be achieved. Mongolia will gain additional revenue twice the total income tax amount from the population. This will increase the income of the National Wealth Fund's Accumulation Fund, providing the foundation for implementing the long-discussed tax reform. The government anticipates that this will also pave the way for the phased railway connection of Shiveekhuren-Sekhee, Bichigt-Zuun-khatavch, and Khangi-Mandal ports between Mongolia and China, enabling the implementation of subsequent railway projects on the western and eastern axes.

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Submission of the Draft Law on Ratification of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Border Agreement

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

Mongolian Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene submitted the draft law on the ratification of the agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China regarding the cross-border railway at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod checkpoint, coal trade, and the increase of the capacity of the Tavantolgoi coal mine to the Chairman of the State Great Khural (Parliament of Mongolia), D. Amarbaysgalan. The "2024-2028 Action Program of the Government of Mongolia," approved by the 21st resolution of the State Great Khural in 2024, outlines the implementation of 14 mega projects within the framework of four main policy directions, the first of which is to "build cross-border railroad connections and cargo transfer terminals at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod, Khangi-Mandal, and Shiveekhuren-Sekhee ports.” The agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the People's Republic of China, established on February 14, 2025, is significant for expanding bilateral cooperation in the fields of mineral resources, industry, infrastructure, and further activating trade, economy, education, health, culture, humanitarian sectors, as well as international and regional cooperation, emphasized Mongolian Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene. If the draft law is approved, construction work will commence in May, allowing the cooperative projects between the two countries to continue more sustainably and over the long term, highlighted the project proponents, as reported by the Press and Information Department of the State Great Khural.

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Key Decisions from China's Two Sessions

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

The "Two Sessions," namely the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), were held in Beijing. This conference is organized annually to discuss important decisions relating to China's government, economy, and society. Chinese leaders last week introduced plans to transform the country into a technological powerhouse and increase spending to ensure targeted growth to overcome challenges facing the world's second-largest economy. New information released showed that China's consumer prices reached their lowest point in 13 months in February, highlighting economic downturn pressure. This year, notable changes in the party's approach to technology, reducing youth unemployment, and addressing economic difficulties have been observed. Key decisions made during the Two Sessions: Economic policy: - Aim to surpass a GDP growth of 5.5% by increasing purchasing and improving production quality. - Set GDP growth at around 4% and adopt policies to boost government spending to support the economy. Employment and social welfare: - Set a goal of creating over 12 million new jobs by 2025. - The government will implement policies to provide housing loans and support employment. - Decisions were made to stabilize medicine prices, increase medical insurance subsidies by 30 yuan, and raise pensions for the elderly by 20 yuan. Climate and energy policy: - Set new energy goals until 2025, focusing on reducing coal consumption. Defense spending: - Plan to increase the military budget by 7.2% in 2025, spending 1.78 trillion yuan. This indicates a consistent annual increase in single-digit percentages over the past decade. Education and scientific development: - Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized advancing education and technology development and called for reforms to grant schools greater autonomy and improve management systems. Market reform: - Implement policies to stabilize the real estate and stock markets and involve the private sector in major infrastructure and public interest projects. Attention is being given to reforming the industrial sector and supporting emerging sectors. Increasing domestic consumption: - Introduced measures to increase income and provide childcare allowances, presenting a special plan to improve citizens' purchasing power. The Two Sessions prioritized economic stability, social welfare, defense, education, and market development. Impact of China's decisions on Mongolia: As the world's second-largest economy and Mongolia's largest trade partner, China's decisions are bound to have a direct impact on Mongolia and the global economic and political landscape. Economic growth and trade relations: - If China's economy grows steadily, demand for Mongolia's coal, copper, and other raw materials is likely to remain high. Conversely, an economic slowdown could lead to reduced exports and fiscal pressure on Mongolia. - China's policy to stabilize its financial and real estate markets is viewed positively for Mongolia's financial stability. Infrastructure and investment: - The increase in China's government spending could accelerate road and rail projects on the Mongolia-China border. - Policies to promote public-private partnerships could lead to increased Chinese investment in Mongolia's energy, mining, and logistics sectors. Defense and foreign policy: - Although a 7.2% increase in China's defense budget does not pose a direct threat to Mongolia, it could alter the regional security environment. For Mongolia, China's economic stability plays a crucial role in exports, investment, and infrastructure development, but China's policies globally could impact market stability, trade trends, and geopolitical dynamics.

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Mongolia is Retreating from Democracy to Autocracy

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

The "V-Dem" Institute, which compiles information about global democracy, presented its democracy report for the ninth year. The report, titled "Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization - Has Democracy Lost?", analyzes trends in global democracy over the past 25 years, highlighting the rise of autocratization and its impact on democracy worldwide. From the latest report, two key indicators can be noted. Firstly, there is a noticeable trend of democratic indicators declining in countries over the past 25 years, indicating a trend of retreat. Secondly, the increasing number of countries where freedom of expression is significantly restricted is affecting both established and emerging democracies. The report categorizes countries by regime type: liberal democracy, electoral democracy, electoral autocracy, and closed autocracy. Regarding Mongolia, it is categorized as an electoral democracy along with Benin, Guyana, Indonesia, and Mauritius. The report also lists countries undergoing autocratization. Currently, autocratization is occurring in 45 countries, up from 42 last year. Of these 45 countries, 27 were initially democratic. However, 25 countries are falling into autocratization without returning to democracy. Mongolia is included among these.

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Parliament Spring Session to Discuss "Hot" Issues

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

The spring session of the Parliament will open today. This is the first spring session of the 126-member parliament. This time, the spring session plans to discuss a number of important draft laws. For example, the tax package draft laws, which have created quite high expectations among citizens and businesses, will be discussed and approved. The Speaker of the Parliament, D. Amarbaysgalan, has also announced that the draft laws on protecting consumer rights and competition will be revised and approved. In addition, issues related to determining the state ownership share in strategic significance deposits, which can be described as this spring's political matter, will be discussed, aiming for a resolution. In this context, the government has decided to submit a draft resolution to Parliament regarding the issue related to the Ukhaa Khudag deposit and has decided to have this issue discussed by Parliament. In 2007, Parliament issued a resolution including the Tavan Tolgoi deposit, particularly the special license area owned by "Energy Resources" company, as a strategic deposit. The government now views the unauthorized ownership transfer to private companies as a violation of the Constitution and other legal provisions. The government has indicated that it intends to finalize this issue through Parliament. These issues may touch upon the interests of many politicians and enterprises, potentially leading to both overt and covert political maneuvers.

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D. Amarbaysgalan: The Parliament Will Focus on Creating the Legal Basis for Implementing Mega Projects

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Opening the regular spring session of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of 2025, Speaker of the Parliament D. Amarbaysgalan addressed the assembly with the following remarks: "Dear citizens, Prime Minister of Mongolia, esteemed members of the State Great Khural, distinguished guests, In these days when the Mongolian people have passed the winter successfully and welcomed the spring, during the break of the autumn session, members of the Parliament met with citizens and voters, familiarized themselves with the real situation of law enforcement, organized discussions, and studied experiences among many other activities. In this parliamentary hall, which has grown to 126 members, I hope that the voices of citizens will be heard more broadly and consistently through all of you. Viewing problems and finding solutions through the window of an official office and recognizing and understanding the real conditions make a big difference. Remember, the development of Mongolian life and progress today should not be measured by info from a few individuals who hide behind the name of the public. During the break, members of the Parliament were able to communicate directly with citizens and meet organizations in person, and share ideas, which will undoubtedly contribute to a practical and constructive discussion of legislative projects in this spring session. During the break, with my fellow members of Parliament, I worked in various regions including the forest steppe, western, central, eastern, and Gobi areas, meeting over 25,000 citizens such as herders, cooperative members, traders, entrepreneurs, civil servants, lawyers, and high school students. Rather than asking for things beyond our power and capacity, they remind us to ensure the Parliament functions as a Parliament. They touch on essential issues like making sure citizens have jobs and incomes, ensuring their children have access to well-facilitated schools and kindergartens, providing close health services, developing roads and infrastructure—fundamental matters that must be addressed. This implies the laws we pass need to focus on improving the quality of life for citizens. The quality of life difference between urban and rural areas should not exist. Growing together as a country is essential for social balance, safety, and stability. However, access to health, education, commerce, infrastructure, and business opportunities remain uneven. Therefore, these issues should be prioritized in legal and fiscal policy. Herders and local business owners have the potential to live prosperous lives through their hard work; only financial resources and investments with low costs are quite limited. Thus, it is important at all levels to fully support rural entrepreneurs. Local and household production initiated by citizens and herders is gaining ground and could access not just regional but international markets, with the help of light industry and technology parks playing significant roles. Twenty-three years ago, Parliament decided on the fundamentals of establishing industrial technology parks, planning ten parks; yet unfortunately, it hasn’t been realized until now. In these circumstances, Parliamentary committees must closely oversee and ensure the effectiveness of industrial policies by actively regulating and establishing the network of industrial parks within regional development concepts of Mongolia. Besides focusing on industries and businesses, attention must be on equal, accessible education. Familiarizing myself with the implementation of education legislation and meeting high school students in provinces revealed their raw and burning desires for improvement. It was refreshing to see countless students full of aspiration to learn and know as they are our future. Yet, we have a lot of work left for their sake. A shortage of professional teachers, inadequate online class arrangements, slow internet, insufficient library capacities, and cold school environments are issues that demand solutions. In Ulaanbaatar, the public’s right to live in a safe and healthy environment is becoming a pressing issue, especially concerning standards. Urban infrastructure planning should optimally and correctly foster favorable living conditions for citizens. Integrating solutions to accumulated problems when constructing buildings in ger districts must proceed while wisely planning health and educational service accessibility, along with urbanized development. Administrative measures to address urban issues must minimally affect individuals' constitutional rights and freedoms, as local citizens have advised. Generally, an interactive, consensus-driven legal environment should be developed to tackle issues head-on in the future. The Government of Mongolia, together with provincial and urban administrations, need to facilitate regional development policy, layout bureaucratic and administrative structures suitably, discuss and resolve pressing problems, reroute urban migration back to rural areas, and cooperate with Parliament to draft necessary laws and measures in the spring session to foster sustainable development. Based on the 77th decree of the Speaker of the Parliament, preparations to implement the Law on Legal Status of Cities and Towns and commence law-making projects in spring should increase in urgency. Esteemed members, There's much work to discuss and resolve. During the spring session, the underlying causes and details of social issues wait in line for thorough consideration and resolution. Firstly, the Parliament should prioritize laying the legal foundations necessary for implementing mega projects, fully supporting and working in cooperation with our Government for the development and progress of the country. As the top legislative body of the state, maintaining stability in national policies, sticking to steady implementation principles, supporting national unity, keeping peaceful foreign relations, and harmonizing institutional actions are essential against the backdrop of geopolitical and economic pressures. One crucial decision by this session's Parliament was approving the 2024-2028 Government Action Plan. We've passed this plan just six months ago, outlining focus areas and desired results for government activities. More than political rivalry and division, history entrusts the newly structured 126-member Parliament with speeding up the country's development rapidly. Through parliamentary friendship missions and fruitful collaborations with foreign leaders and diplomats, we have established openness to sustainable, long-term partnerships on various projects and programs run by Mongolia. Thus, it should be noted that it’s time to build trust among investors ready to take long journeys. Secondly, a legal foundation of human-centered legal policy should get laid down, enacting amendments to the Law on Legislation. Without evolving the mindset towards legislation, achieving legal development is unachievable. The law must center around humans imperatively. No one should be excluded from the law; its implementation should be impartial, and it should foster the rule of law. Today, because the balance between laws and regulations is disrupted, rules instead of laws prevail. These rulings, giving much discretion to officials, are fertile ground for corruption and bureaucracy, needing eradication, and ensuring the rule of law in reality. Hence, the law amendments drafted by the working group, headed by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, must address the unchecked ratification of regulations uninhibitedly, while imposing strict scrutiny on laws authorizing rule enactments. Thus, new relationships shall not be administered through regulations; regulations will only be enacted when statutory, within defined legal boundaries, and only for relations that cannot be regulated by anything but laws. Moreover, integrating a human-centered approach, establishing a reliable mechanism to evaluate proposals for human rights conformity, stipulating requirements when limiting rights and freedoms through legislative projects is vital. Implementing legal revisions following the law amendment relating to regulation or administrative acts to comply with new laws calls for initiating proposals to modify existing laws, which the government and organizations accountable to the Parliament should urgently begin. Thirdly, attention shall be drawn to laws supporting the legal environment for fair market competition and economic expansion, deliberated and decided within this session. Consensus might be found that a nation's prosperity correlates directly with its citizens' wealth. The market lacks a healthy structure fostering prosperous citizens, herders, and private enterprises to thrive and grow simultaneously. Dominance by big over small in trade, and competition leading to aggressive market practices, unfortunately, exists. The law on competition, while containing provisions to restrict unfair corporate behavior and impose administrative and financial penalties, seems ineffectual. Regarding monopoly-related issues, while relevant institutions decide violations, those decisions get settled long after judicial proceedings, diminishing their value significantly. Given the lack of oversight, today, out of 133 justified monopoly organizations, only 13 fall under the Anti-Monopoly Agency's focus, implying no control over the rest, rendering monopoly oversight rather similar to a 'toothless lion' within fundamental product sectors. As hasty competition and monopoly legislations cause price inflation intermittently, this sector mandates legal environment reforms. Current circumstances highlight the urgency to reassess the consumer rights protection implementations under the 2003 Consumer Protection Law against modern needs without delay. As electrical and heating tariffs strongly influence pricing reaching consumers, reconsiderations made when consumers petitioned about burdensome electricity fees due to nighttime heating, led the government to promptly address complaints by expanding nighttime heating discounts. Going forward, implementing legal reforms within the energy sector is vital during this spring session. Today, relations of major sectors like heating and electricity are administered by a singular Energy Law, which, due to its brevity and generalities, leads to regulations by over 800 rules instead—which is a glaring deviation. Therefore, within policy frameworks guaranteeing comprehensive legislation, energy sector laws need a complete, coherent, independent regulatory overhaul. When enacted, they will incorporate competitive market models within the electricity sector and maintain appropriate state involvement, directing competitiveness toward reducing prices and costs, fueling innovation and technology integration. The energy sector's competitive structure should lay solid groundwork for domestic businesses exporting electricity in the future. During the regular session's break, working groups reviewed the Tax Package Law's implementation, compiling recommendations and critiques, preparing legislative drafts if necessary, while conducting multi-party dialogues with related ministries and agencies. Investors criticize political instability, unforeseeable tax climates, and high taxes as deterrents to investment. Instability in tax regulatory application induces uncertainty because functioning laws that provide taxation stability remain unimplemented, compounded by ambiguous resource utilization fees for mining, non-reimbursable VAT for pre-operational mining purchases, and procedural tax disagreements scare investors off. Aligning current tax scaling with the nature and specifics of today's economy, business interactions and supporting conducive conditions for the growth of small, medium, and large business entities require new tax legislation. Significantly reducing some tax rates, notably high, to international standards, is equally vital. Addressing legal inconsistencies that hinder businesses from developing by examining tax pressure on national enterprises promptly while facilitating solutions favorable to citizens and businesses is our mandate. Talking to sectoral legislative frameworks, when situations emerge calling for revisiting past investment decisions by the Parliament, this must consider thoroughly the central and collective recurring issues before deliberating for sustainable future implementations. The immediate future emphasizes robustly launching major constructions, mega projects, and expanding private sectors starting now; setting a clear, defined standards environment becomes non-negotiable for absolute adherence in the future. Developing, implementing, enforcing good faith responsibility under current laws involves plenty of complexities due to gaps in communications, accountability mechanisms or discrepancies over nearly 6,689 standards in effect nationwide fall short of expectations. Thus, it is appropriate to address the revised draft of the Standardization, Technical Regulation, and Conformity Assessment Accreditations through this spring session. This spring session includes discussions and adoptions of crucial financial and budgetary legislation, like the performance of Mongolia's unified budget for 2024, fiscal framework forecast and development plans for 2026, budget estimates for 2027-2028, and the government debt management strategic document for 2026-2028. Responsible entities and Standing Committees must ensure preparations for timely deliberations over these legislative pieces. Esteemed members, The Parliament must demand the government deliberate bold strategies, mega projects and their economic impacts, ensuring they align with current global environments, minimize economic burdens, and progress the citizens' living conditions, observing execution carefully. By the end of 2024, economic growth was 4.9%, inflation reached 9.2%, fiscal deficit recorded minus 1%, balance of payments yielded a $622 million surplus, foreign exchange reserves attained $5.5 billion. By the end of February this year, inflation reached 9.6%, foreign trade resulted in a $294 million surplus, foreign reserves at $4.4 billion sufficed around 4.5 months of imports, the coal export price fell significantly compared to expectations, gross revenue sank 38.9% against last January, fiscal deficit landed at MNT 493 billion in losses after a surplus of MNT 676 billion the previous January. Thus, under today's external circumstances stressing internal recovery, sustaining the renewed economic activity is essential. To overcome sensitivity induced by external factors, restructuring the internal economy through key initiatives, particularly by investing in the competitive capacity-enhancing infrastructure, cannot be neglected. According to the 14th resolution of the Parliament for 2025, a schedule for the planned oversight checks during the spring session is confirmed. This covers assessing compliance in ten legislative areas, evaluating legislative outcome impacts, hearing 16 reports, presentations, resolutions, including Mongolia's unified budget execution for 2024, and government financial reports for 2024. Of course, under legal by-laws, Parliament members will raise questions, conduct oversight hearings on pressing issues, establish special investigative committees, deliver their findings and analyze outcomes. On the other side, citizen constituents strictly criticize inadequate participation and attendance among members. Therefore, members elected by the citizenry must uphold their oaths diligently. As the Speaker, I am committed to continuously updating attendance data, improving the feedback loop with citizens through targeted initiatives. It's been over 250 days since this Parliament began executing its full mandate. All parties and coalitions represented in Parliament have concrete commitments and programs regarding advancing national development and enhancing citizens' quality of life. Our activities over four years are planned ahead with clearly defined outcomes formalized in our strategic plan. As the representative body, we must carry activities transparently, responsibly, and result-oriented, and report on achievements. The majority of works on law and subjects up for discussion during this spring session derive from scrutinized and thoughtfully developed legislation projects by working groups approved by the Parliament. We must accelerate our efforts, presenting relevant drafts and documents within deadlines set. Trusting we'll collectively exercise legislation efforts meticulously for Mongolia's advancement, fulfilling public confidence and aspirations, and I announce the opening of the spring session of the State Great Khural for 2025."

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N. Uchral: Certain Amendments Will Be Made to the Exchange Law

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

N. Uchral, the Chief of the Cabinet Secretariat, provided information to journalists today. He stated, "The government has issued a decree. Recommendations have been sent to local self-governing bodies. This means they have been instructed not to increase fees and charges. Going forward, the government's decision is to stop adding taxes and charges when proposing new legislation. In the past, electricity prices have increased. Information has emerged about potential increases in heating and water prices this coming autumn. Consequently, the government has decided to review and postpone its decision. The government cannot directly annul the decisions made by local self-governing bodies. We are only providing guidance. If a decision to increase any tax or fee is made, it must be re-discussed by the Citizens’ Representative Council. We have given directions not to increase taxes or fees in any sector. The government’s decision must be followed accordingly. If an unavoidable decision is made, it should be reported to the government. Regulatory boards that have increased prices or fees are required to report. At this time, we find ourselves in a position where we need to advance mega projects, increase exports, and review necessary legislation. We cannot impose this burden on citizens. With that in mind, we are taking these measures and making this decision. Countries around the world are seeking new solutions. Although Mongolia is a country with a unified state structure, there is a legal environment wherein local self-governing bodies are elected by citizens to make decisions. The Eurasian trade agreement is irrelevant here. The price of coal, which is Mongolia's main product, is decreasing. We need to make specific amendments to the Exchange Law and focus on this issue. Therefore, a working group led by the Minister of Finance is working and will be at the border checkpoints on Thursday. Issues are arising from the international situation, which is beyond our direct control. The Minister of Finance will likely provide information broadly. At present, there is no need for budget revision. If such a condition arises, we will discuss it at the time. We believe that we have full capacity to make adjustments to the budget as needed," he said.

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Governors of Dundgovi and Umnugovi Accused of Breaking the Law

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

The Ministry of Education reported that the governors of Dundgovi and Umnugovi aimags violated the General Law on Education by restricting educational activities and switching to non-classroom formats without prior consultation with the central government administrative body responsible for educational issues. In response, Dundgovi aimag's Governor S. Munkhchuluun stated, "The health department expressed concern, and the aimag's Emergency Commission convened and decided, after which the governor issued an order. Two cases were confirmed yesterday, six cases today, and eight more suspect cases have been discovered, for which samples have been sent to the National Center for Communicable Diseases. Classes have not been quarantined; they have been moved online. We prioritize the health of our children," he said. The National Center for Communicable Diseases warned of a high spread of measles. Specifically, there are 51 confirmed cases of measles, with 24 results confirmed by laboratory tests in the last 24 hours, and 11 suspect cases still awaiting results. In the last 24 hours, 12 cases from Ulaanbaatar city, eight from Dundgovi aimag, and four from Umnugovi aimag have been confirmed and recorded.

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The Plenary Session Transferred to Closed Mode to Hear the National Security Council's Information

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

The spring session of the State Great Khural (Parliament of Mongolia) was opened today. The session was opened with a speech by the Speaker of the State Great Khural, D. Amarbayasgalan. He said, "I hope that the citizens' voices will be heard more broadly and regularly through you, the members, in this chamber of the expanded parliament with 126 members. There is a big difference between making decisions based on office window views and understanding the real conditions to find solutions. Also, the life and development of Mongolia today should not be measured by social media, which claims to represent public opinion while in fact hiddenly advancing the desires of a few. During the recess, members of parliament met with citizens and organizations face-to-face, familiarized themselves with the situation on the ground, delved into problems and shared ideas, which will surely influence discussions on drafts of laws and contribute to practical and creative development. I am voicing these basic essential issues such as keeping our citizens employed, enrolling our children in schools and kindergartens with adequate facilities, ensuring health services are accessible, and developing road and infrastructure. This means the laws we pass must aim to improve the quality of life of our citizens," he said. Following this, in connection with hearing the National Security Council's information, the session of the plenary was transferred to closed mode.

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Establishment of a Subcommittee to Investigate the 'Energy Resource' Case and Take Leadership

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

Member of the State Great Khural L. Munkhbayasgalan provided information regarding issues related to the 'Energy Resource' company. He stated, "As a member elected from the 7th electoral district, which is the Gobi region, I am making this statement. The Gobi region is home to major strategic deposits that fill the treasury of Mongolia. From Umnugovi alone, 1.7 trillion MNT has been allocated to the state budget. Having been an investigative journalist for 28 years, I have been gathering evidence against Mongolian oligarchs and fighting against them. These are facts collected within the realm of journalism over the last 15 years. This includes evidence related to Oyu Tolgoi, Tavan Tolgoi, Energy Resource, Ukhaa Khudag, MAK, Petrovis, the privatization of Erdenet's 49 percent, Khaan Bank, State Bank, etc. The government announced that Energy Resource LLC acquired Ukhaa Khudag through fraud and submitted a resolution draft to the State Great Khural. I had a lot of evidence on this issue, but no one paid attention. Now, they are paying attention. That is why I will support the government's stance and lead the establishment of a subcommittee within the State Great Khural to investigate. In this context, an initiative will be launched to collect signatures on an official letter. 32 members must sign. I will first reach out to the members of the Democratic Party, from which I was elected. Energy Resource has filed a lawsuit to annul the government's resolution on the grounds that they paid excess MINAT from 2009 to 2021. Currently, all businesses operating in the coal market pay MINAT. However, they claim that this doesn't apply to Energy Resource. We need to know what laws don't apply to this company. It must be clarified whether Energy Resource broke the law or committed theft, and a resolution must be reached. In my opinion, they created laws for themselves and committed theft."

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A Case of Misappropriated Overtime Payments by School Official

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

An incident has surfaced where overtime payments for teachers were being transferred via personal accounts. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, a case involving a public official from the secondary school in Songinokhairkhan District, who abused their authority and position, has been forwarded for legal proceedings. Specifically, the official I.M. from the secondary school in Songinokhairkhan District leveraged their authority and position to fraudulently log additional overtime on top of the actual hours worked by teachers. The funds for this claimed overtime were then diverted to their personal account. Additionally, tuition payments from transferring students were also siphoned into their personal account, creating an undue advantage for themselves. Consequently, charges have been laid under Article 22.1, Section 1 of the Criminal Code pertaining to abuse of power and official position, and the case has been transferred to the Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar, and Chingeltei Districts' Courts for initial proceedings.

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Economy

C. Tuvaan: Approving the intergovernmental agreement will create an additional opportunity worth 400 million dollars

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, C. Tuvaan, announced today at the opening of the spring session of the State Great Khural (Parliament of Mongolia) that the government of Mongolia has submitted a draft resolution to approve the agreement for the cross-border railway connection of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port. He also warned of the risk that the decline in coal prices may continue for an extended period. Minister C. Tuvaan mentioned that under the law of the Mongolian mining exchange, the coal sold is delivered to the terminal of the purchasing organization. This means the supply quantities are the same. However, the real situation is that the price of coal has decreased. We budgeted for an average of 105 dollars per ton to produce 83 million tons. Currently, the average price of coal has reached 88 dollars. In other words, the price has fallen by 20-25 dollars. Two out of the four types of coal sold on the mining exchange are not being purchased by buying organizations. This situation is not expected to continue in the short term. The government has urgently convened meetings to support and increase the export of mining products, with the formation of a working group led by the Minister of Finance. The first meeting will be held today. We need to increase the extraction of gold and other raw materials and products traded on the mining exchange, as well as increase the export volume of other products to compensate for the shortfall in revenue from coal. The price of gold is at a historic high, with a gram of gold costing between 330,000 and 340,000 MNT. We set the price of gold in the state budget at 1,850 dollars and planned to extract 18 tons. However, since the price of gold has risen to 2,900 dollars, if we increase the extraction amount to 20 tons, we estimate that we will obtain an additional 760 million dollars from gold alone. We plan to urgently resolve this issue and submit it to the State Great Khural. The decrease in coal prices is related to the trade dispute between the USA and China. The high tariffs imposed by the USA have reduced China's steel exports. Consequently, the sale of our coking coal, used in steel production, tends to decrease. We plan to have specific meetings with the National Development and Reform Commission of China soon regarding the export and consumption of Mongolian coal. Today, at the opening of the State Great Khural's spring session, the government submitted the proposal to approve the agreement for the cross-border railway connection of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port. Once the State Great Khural approves it, the decisions by government administration organizations will be completed. There are three issues beyond that: The first is the tender for the railway border connection. The second is that long-term coal sales and purchase agreements will be directly established between companies. An additional 5 million tons can be sold on top of the planned 83 million tons. At a price of 80 dollars, this creates an additional opportunity worth about 400 million dollars in 2025. The third is that further detailed exploration must be conducted on the two deposits that have been previously geologically surveyed, and a new mine portal must be opened. This will allow not only China Energy but also others to export coal extracted from these two deposits. We have registered 16 deposits as strategic deposits. In addition to these, there is a list of 39 deposits that could be registered as strategic deposits. Last November, a government resolution was issued mandating the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources to determine whether these deposits should be registered as strategic deposits. Our ministry is working on this. Due to the long-term disconnection of cross-border connections, we have lost approximately 4.5-5 billion dollars from sales revenue alone. Furthermore, every day that this connection is not made incurs significant opportunity costs for us.

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D.Amarbayasgalan: Some excessively high taxes should be reduced to international levels

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

The Chairman of the State Great Khural, D.Amarbayasgalan, opened the session and in his speech, addressed which new economic laws legislators should pass and how existing laws should be amended. He stated: "The State Great Khural should pay special attention to creating a legal basis for implementing mega projects and fully support the coalition government for the development and progress of our country. In this critical geopolitical and economic situation, the State Great Khural, as the highest body exercising state power, must ensure the stability of state policy and principles of consistent implementation, promoting national unity, stability of foreign policy, inter-institutional cooperation, and aligning the branches of state operations with the right approach. One of the first important decisions passed by this composition of the State Great Khural is the government's program for 2024-2028. We have approved how the government will focus, what results it aims for, and how it will work, just six months ago. Rather than political division, party strife, and polarization, the 126-member parliament, formed with a new system, has a historic duty to make decisions that will accelerate the development of the country. Out of 133 legitimate monopoly organizations, only 13 fall under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Monopoly Agency, and the remaining monopolies are uncontrolled. Facilitation meetings with foreign state leaders and ambassadors have expressed readiness to work together on the projects and programs implemented by Mongolia on a stable, long-term basis. Therefore, it is time to responsibly earn the trust of investors who will share the long journey with us. Attention will be focused on discussing and deciding legal drafts that support a fair competitive environment and an expanding economy. You will agree that if households and citizens are prosperous, the country will be prosperous. There is a lack of a healthy market system that allows prosperous citizens, herders, and private sectors to exist and thrive. Large entities in commerce and business are overpowering and suppressing smaller ones, and dominating the competition. Although the Law on Competition includes provisions to sanction administrative and financial misconduct of companies, the principle of effective accountability has been lost. Decisions related to monopolistic issues are often resolved through legal processes long after their occurrence, rendering them ineffective and insignificant. Price changes by naturally monopolistic businesses, left to market forces, have led to a lack of consumer rights protection. Due to limited monopoly controls, out of today's 133 legitimate monopolies, only 13 fall under the Anti-Monopoly Agency's jurisdiction, leaving the rest unchecked. Consequently, monopoly control over sectors supplying essential goods and services has become like a "toothless lion." Unintelligent regulation of monopoly and competition has ultimately resulted in price increases and inflation, prompting necessary reforms in this sector's legal environment. These circumstances justifiably call for the review of the 2003 Law on Consumer Protection's implementation to evaluate its compatibility with current needs. Energy sector legal reform will be an important part of the spring session. Electricity and heating tariffs significantly influence product prices reaching consumers. As the government promptly expanded nighttime heating discounts following public demands, there has been a need to review electricity prices based on consumption levels, considering the financial burden placed on residents settling their heating with electricity. Further work on legal reform in the energy sector will be an important part of the spring session. Currently, the relationships of the two major sectors—heat and electricity—are governed by a single law, the Energy Law. However, because this law is overly concise and general, the sector is governed not by law, but by over 800 rules and regulations, which is a significant anomaly. Therefore, within the framework of policies that demand comprehensive and clear regulation, it is necessary to have complete and independent laws for electric and heat services. To achieve this, introducing a competitive market model in the electricity sector, maintaining an appropriate level of government involvement, and ensuring that competition focuses on reducing prices and costs and encouraging innovation and new technology adoption is crucial. Introducing a competitive system in the energy sector should lay a positive foundation for domestic businesses to export electricity in the future. During the recess of the regular session, working groups familiarized themselves with the implementation of the tax package laws, issued feedback, and, if necessary, developed draft laws. A series of discussions was conducted, inviting stakeholders with relevant ministries and organizations. Investors criticize political instability, unpredictable tax environments, and high taxes that do not encourage investment. Due to the failure to implement laws regulating a stable tax environment, uncertainties arise, discouraging investments. Organizational issues such as double taxation of mineral resource use fees and VAT refunds on purchases during pre-mining operations cause investors to hesitate. It is crucial to align the existing tax scales with today's economic and business relations' specificities and circumstances, focusing on creating favorable conditions for small, medium, and large businesses to expand alongside and carry out tax legal reforms accordingly. Furthermore, some types of excessively high taxes need to be reduced to international levels. Studying and urgently addressing legal gaps that create tax burdens and hinder the growth of national enterprises, and making decisions beneficial for citizens and businesses, is our duty. Generally, when a need arises to review investment issues already decided by the State Great Khural based on sectoral legislation, it is essential to consider the basic, common pressing issues of sectoral legislation comprehensively and refine them prior to discussion. This will lay the foundation for future sustainable implementation.

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Ts. Tuvaan: The Decline in Coal Prices Will Continue for a Long Time

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

We obtained a briefing and information on current issues from Ts. Tuvaan, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources. During the session, he stated, "The price of coal has decreased. We estimated selling 83 million tons of coal at $105 and included this in the state budget. However, today the price of coal has dropped by $20-25, and it is now $80. In other words, on the mining exchange, four types of coal are sold. Of these, two types are not being purchased. This situation is expected to last for a long time. The government has convened an urgent meeting to set up a working group led by Finance Minister B. Javkhlan. This working group will work towards increasing the sales of mining products. We are working on a plan to increase the sales of not only coal but also gold and other products to compensate for the coal losses. Due to the trade disputes between the USA and China, China's steel exports are decreasing. On top of that, the USA has imposed high tariffs. As a result of the decline in steel exports, the sales of coking coal are declining. We will soon have a meeting with China's Development and Reform Commission regarding issues related to coal export and consumption. During the meeting, we will inquire how much coal they can purchase," he said.

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T.Tuvaan: Approving the Agreement Will Increase Coal Sales by 400 Million Dollars

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

The government submitted a draft law to the Speaker of the Parliament to ratify the intergovernmental agreement to increase the capacity of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port. In connection with this project, government ministers provided information. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, T. Tuvaan, said: "The government submitted the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod agreement to the Speaker of the Parliament for ratification. The issues of rail border connection, coal trade, and increasing mine capacity, which have been stuck for many years, are to be resolved through an intergovernmental agreement. The agreement was confirmed by signatures from the Prime Ministers of the two countries in Harbin. The law requires that international agreements be ratified by the Parliament. This is a major agreement between the two countries. There are three types of associated agreements among companies within it. First, the issue of rail border connection; second, a long-term agreement to buy and sell coal; and third, increasing mine capacity. The basic direction for ratifying this agreement was previously approved by the Parliament. Within the framework of the directive approved by the Parliament, the agreement was successfully concluded. Due to the US policy, namely Trump's tariffs, there have been many issues in international trade. As the demand for steel decreases and the price of coal falls, the importance of this agreement becomes more pronounced. For example, 5 million tons of additional coal will be sold on top of what was sold before. As a result, it is possible to increase coal sales revenue by around 400 million USD. In addition, this is the second rail border connection being made 70 years after the first connection between the two countries' railways in 1955. Once the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port is connected by railway, the issues of linking the railways through the Shivee Khuren-Sekhee, Khangimandal, Bichigt, Eastern Gate, west and east corridors will rapidly and sequentially be implemented." Minister of Road and Transportation Development, B. Delgersaikhan, said: "We have submitted for parliamentary ratification the first major project-building agreement of the cross-border railway and 14 mega projects. Our main goal is to build the cross-border railway in a short time. For this railway to be built, first, the Parliament must ratify the agreement, after which the Procurement Department will announce a tender. After the tender is won, the Ministry of Road and Transport will make a contract and start the work in a short time. The Chinese side has stated the concept of carrying out three things together. Although Parliamentary Resolution No. 68 specified that a subsidiary of 'China Energy' would do the rail connection, it was decided to announce a tender according to the laws of Mongolia. After announcing the tender, we will start the rail connection work at the lowest possible cost and in the shortest time. The payment for the rail connection will be made directly in cash by the 'Tavantolgoi' company. There will be no coal barter." Deputy Prime Minister T. Dorjkhansaid said: "The world is in a tariff-restrained, protected, squeezed, and regionally integrated state. The global economy is facing challenges not experienced in the last 70 years. Who is harmed by this? Small economies are harmed. We are an exporting country. Due to tariff restrictions, the price, consumption, and volume of export goods have decreased significantly. This phenomenon is not short-term. Many conclusions from world economists, researchers, and research organizations say this will continue in the medium and long term. The world order is changing. At this time, what measures should Mongolia take? There is a need to increase export opportunities. There is a need to be united and integrated between institutions. All European countries are uniting, consolidating. When we recently visited the Arab countries, they were more consolidated than ever in history. They are implementing policies to protect their markets, working together to expand trade. For Mongolia, it is necessary to take measures to attract foreign investment to increase export opportunities and create currency flows. The government is actively working on this. The submission of this agreement project at the beginning of the spring session of Parliament is significant. As a result, export opportunities will increase, efforts to stabilize income will succeed, the physical volume of coal will increase, which will help maintain the balance of payments and lay the foundation for macroeconomic stability. There is an urgent need to conclude today's agreement. As a result, measures are being planned at the government level to open all flows to increase copper, gold, and other flows, invest in geological exploration, and activate research to obtain foreign currency income. A historically significant decision is being made."

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Bank, NBFIs, and Pawnshops Must Enter Loan Information into the Credit Information Database Within 24 Hours

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

Minister of Economic Development L. Gantömör held a press conference last month. He stated, "The advertising campaign by PCmall, encouraging people to buy without proof of income and without a down payment, is wrong. This stimulates imports and violates many financial rules. The store does not meet all the criteria that banks apply when issuing loans. The Financial Regulatory Commission should pay attention to this. One NBFI does not know about the loan taken by an individual from another NBFI, as they do not share information immediately. There are 350,000 people with double loans from banks and NBFIs, which is alarming. These individuals are living on just 20% of their income. The Financial Regulatory Commission is not doing its job and is not providing proper oversight. The commission needs to regulate the debt-to-income ratio soon," he said. The Financial Regulatory Commission clarified this issue. "Selling goods such as electronics and cars to consumers without proof of income and without a down payment is considered financial leasing. A company does not need a special license for this, so our organization cannot directly regulate it. Since 2013, many companies in our country have been providing financial leasing. It is true that there are citizens with double loans from banks and NBFIs. According to the law on the credit information database, if a bank or NBFI gives a loan to someone, they are required to enter this information into the credit information database within 72 hours. However, despite a directive issued by the President of the Central Bank of Mongolia in 2024 to reduce this time to 24 hours, it is not being implemented. The credit information database under the Central Bank of Mongolia is managed by two companies with special licenses. Regarding the debt-to-income ratio, from January 1, 2025, NBFIs must comply with a debt-to-income ratio of 70/30. However, last week, the Central Bank of Mongolia agreed to adjust the debt-to-income ratio that banks must follow when issuing loans to 50/50."

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Events: Press Conference to Present "Banking Sector Overview 2024" Study

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

At 10:00 AM, the 2025 Spring Session of the State Great Khural will open at the State Palace. At 12:00 PM, there will be meetings of the Democratic Party (DP) and Mongolian People's Party (MPP) groups. From 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, there will be sessions of the working groups. A press conference to present the "Banking Sector Overview 2024" study will be held at 11:00 AM on the 2nd floor of Vista Office, located opposite the Naran Plaza, north of the Peace Bridge. Notice: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social, and Web pages) must mention the source (ikon.mn) when using our information in whole or in part.

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Polish-Mongolian Business Forum Attracts Over 180 Enterprises

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Over 180 enterprises participated in the Polish-Mongolian business forum. Follow @montsame.mn

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News Guide: Introduction of the "Banking Sector Overview 2024" Study

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

Today, we present a summary of upcoming events. 10:00 AM: The regular spring session of the State Great Khural of 2025 will open. 10:00 AM: Indian artist Renu Kumar will open her exhibition "Threads of Emotion" at the G. Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts. 11:00 AM: The Mongolian Banking Association will introduce the "Banking Sector Overview 2024" study. 11:00 AM: The launch of the Economic Dictionary will take place at the old building of the National Central Library. 4:00 PM: A panel discussion within the framework of the Australian Scholarships Program's Women in Leadership Program will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel.

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Banking Sector's Total Assets Grow by 23% as System Banks Expected to Distribute 530 Billion MNT Dividends This Year

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

The Mongolian Bankers Association provided an overview of the banking sector's performance in 2024. The Executive Director of the Mongolian Bankers Association, L. Amar, stated: "In the past year, the banking sector's indicators remained stable and showed growth. Despite high policy rates, banks offered loans aimed at supporting businesses with a significant growth of 37%. Due to the sharp increase in loans, the ratio of non-performing loans of banks has reached its lowest level in the last 15 years. The total assets of the banking sector increased by 23%, and the system’s five banks are expected to distribute 530 billion MNT in dividends this year." Additionally, he mentioned that last year, public confidence in the MNT increased, business loans increased by 37%, and non-performing loans reached a historical low. However, car loans or non-performing loans showed growth. The decision by the Bank of Mongolia to increase policy rates indicates the risk that the economic situation of the country might deteriorate this year.

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There may be a risk of interruption in tax revenue collected from businesses in the state budget

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

The Mongolian Bankers Association delivered the "2024 Banking Sector Review." Executive Director of the Mongolian Bankers Association, L. Amar, stated: “Last year, due to the influence of both the State Great Khural and local elections and the increase in state budget expenditures, the budget balance showed a deficit of 776 billion MNT. Budget expenditures increased by 35% compared to the previous year, equating to 38% of the GDP. Consequently, the "state budget and current account double deficit" is projected to pose significant challenges in maintaining economic stability going forward. At the beginning of the year, as coal prices dropped and exports were restricted, there was a risk of the budget not reaching its planned level. In addition, with the increase in electricity prices and taxes, there may be a risk of interruption in tax revenue collected from businesses.

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The Employment Support Fund to Allocate 130 Billion MNT to Job Placement and Labor Market Stabilization This Year

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The Labor and Welfare Services Sector's Management Meeting began today. This two-day event has gathered management from 21 provinces and nine districts to discuss the current state of the sector, pressing issues, and future work plans. During the meeting, it was emphasized that efforts are underway to achieve significant outcomes in labor support policy by 2025. While most social services have moved online, the majority of labor support services still rely on human involvement. A directive is being developed to make labor support services more effective, and its implementation is currently underway. The Employment Support Fund (ESF) will allocate 45 billion MNT for small loans and financial support and 130 billion MNT for job placement and labor market stabilization in 2025. Highlighted initiatives include the "Labor Relations" program, the "Development Bridge" for people with disabilities, and support projects for micro-businesses producing import-substituting products. In 2024, a comprehensive labor service center or "Job Center" was established in four branches in Ulaanbaatar, and by 2025, 30 centers will be established nationwide, according to the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Protection. Sources of the ESF's income are as follows: 1. Funds allocated from the state budget; 2. Funds allocated from local budgets; 3. Interest from depositing the ESF's free balance in a bank; 4. Job fees paid by employers when hiring foreigners under contract; 5. Loans provided by foreign countries and international organizations for the purpose of promoting employment; 6. Contributions and assistance given to the ESF by foreign countries, international organizations, Mongolian and foreign enterprises, non-governmental organizations, and individuals; 7. Fees paid by enterprises and organizations that do not employ individuals stipulated in Article 3 of the Law on the Elderly or disabled persons; 8. Recovered funds from small loans and financial support; 9. Other sources. Warning: Media organizations (TV, radio, social, and web pages) must cite the source (ikon.mn) when using this information fully or partially.

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Notice of Annual Shareholders' Meeting of Golomt Bank JSC

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - The Board of Directors of Golomt Bank JSC has resolved to schedule the 2025 Annual Shareholders' Meeting based on decision No. 00/03. Meeting date and location: April 17, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the Grand Conference Room of Shangri-La Hotel. Meeting format: Hybrid (in-person and remote) List generation date of shareholders eligible to participate: March 26, 2025 Agenda topics: - Presentation of the 2024 annual operational and financial report of Golomt Bank JSC - Review by the Board of Directors on the 2024 annual operational and financial report - Audit opinion on the 2024 audited financial results - Presentation of the Board's resolution on the distribution of dividends from the 2024 net profit - Report on the work of the Board of Directors in 2024. Budget for salaries for 2025 - Election of the Board of Directors members - Resolution on the increase of announced common shares and the right of first purchase from the additional common shares to be issued - Change in shareholders - Approval of amendments to the Bank's charter Documents available for shareholders include: - 2024 annual operational and financial report of Golomt Bank - Board's review on the 2024 annual operational and financial report - Audit opinion on the 2024 audited financial results - Presentation of the Board's resolution on dividend distribution from the 2024 net profit - Report on the work of the Board of Directors in 2024. Budget for salaries for 2025 - Introduction of candidates for the Board of Directors - Information on the increase of announced common shares and first purchase rights of additional common shares - Information on changes in shareholders - Notification on amendments to the Bank's charter Starting on March 12, 2025, shareholders can access meeting materials and voting instructions on golomtbank.com. For inquiries about the shareholders' meeting, please contact the following during working days from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM: - Golomt Bank hotline: 1800-1646 - Branch offices of Golomt Bank - Your securities company - Golomt Capital Securities Company's main office, Park Place Office, 4th floor, Chinggis Avenue-24, Sukhbaatar District, 1st khoroo, Ulaanbaatar - Shareholders meeting organizing committee: shareholdersmeeting@golomtbank.com Voting: Shareholders participating remotely can watch the live broadcast of the Shareholders' Meeting and vote online. Shareholders unable to attend in person may submit their votes in advance through Golomt Bank's website or via their securities company. Ballots will be accepted from April 3, 2025, until 12:00 PM on April 14, 2025. Thank you to our shareholders for their trust and cooperation with Golomt Bank. Together in the international market. To view the official press release, CLICK HERE. Contact: Phone: 1800-1646; Email: shareholdersmeeting@golomtbank.com Additional information about the bank can be obtained through the following channels: - Website: www.golomtbank.com/investor-relations - X: @golomtbank - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/golomtbank - YouTube: www.youtube.com/golomtbank - Facebook: www.facebook.com/Golomtbank Warning: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social, and Web pages) must cite their source as (ikon.mn) when using our information in any form or part.

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B.Javkhlan: If We Hadn't Managed The Debt, We Would Have Faced A Crisis

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

In today's meeting of the Mongolian People's Party group in the State Great Khural (Parliament), the discussion was focused on Mongolia's budget for 2025. It was decided that there is no need for an amendment to the budget. Finance Minister B. Javkhlan provided information regarding this decision. He reported, "As of the first two months, the budget revenue performance is normal. The revenue execution for the first two months is at 11% with income of 4.1 trillion MNT. We are at 95% execution of our planned revenue. In other words, all planned budgetary investments, current expenses, and financing are proceeding normally. There is a question of whether to amend the budget. The amendment of the budget requires five conditions. If any of these five conditions arise, the government has the right to submit a draft law for budget amendment to the State Great Khural for discussion. Currently, no such conditions have arisen. Among raw materials, the prices of coal have fallen, but the prices of gold, copper, and iron ore are favorable, even higher than our projections. For example, the price of gold in the budget was set at $1850, and it has reached $3000. Copper was projected at $7500 in the budget and it has reached $9800. Iron ore prices are considerably higher than our estimates. The average price of coal is around $80. If the coal price remains at $80 for the whole year, and if the government does not cut costs, prioritize investments, or take measures to increase export revenues, a budget deficit amounting to 1.5% is likely by the end of the year. According to the budget law, a deficit that reaches 3% of GDP is a condition to make amendments due to changes in revenue. Under the worst-case scenario, a 1.5% deficit would be expected. This means there would not be a need for a revenue-based amendment halfway through the year. The government will not just sit back. Steps will be taken such as increasing exports and prioritizing our executions. All resources and possibilities will be mobilized to reduce the budget deficit as much as possible. In terms of both the economic situation and potential risks from international trade, we are taking precautionary measures. The reliance on foreign debt and potential risks from external shocks have been significantly reduced. One or two years ago, there were plans to pay $1.3 billion in bond payments in 2025 and 2026. These have now been paid to a certain extent from the budget, and payment terms have been extended by five to eight years. As a result, there are no major bond repayments due in 2025 or 2026. If these payments were still due in 2025 and 2026, we would have faced very difficult conditions. Moreover, if we had not successfully managed our debt and improved our credit rating, we might have faced the risk of a crisis. By anticipating and managing debt properly, we have eliminated the risk of crises dependent on foreign or debt shocks for 2025 and 2026, thereby creating more policy space. In the first two months of this year, we exported 11.5 million tons of coal instead of the planned 10.3 million tons. We planned to export 800,000 tons of copper but exported 831,000 tons. Iron ore exports are proceeding as planned. The working group established after last week's Cabinet meeting has plunged into action promptly. Our autumn session was productive and proved to be a successful session for major mega projects. As a result, the "Orano" project is set in motion. Agreements to commence the Gashuunsukhait-Ganqimaodu cross-border railway construction have been successfully made. Today, the government submitted for parliamentary approval the ratification of these agreements. This agreement contains a provision to increase the physical volume of coal exports by 5 million tons. This is a very important provision. During a time when coal prices are falling, it opens up an opportunity to compensate. Coal exchange trading is decreasing due to price drops. Coal traded on the exchange is delivered to the border within 30 to 45 days. During this time, the drop in coal prices results in buyers facing losses, making it difficult to realize profits. Therefore, the opportunity to increase coal exports by 5 million tons should not be missed. There is also a need to increase the physical volume of other raw materials, especially increasing gold exports. The gold price is calculated at $1870 in the budget, and has reached $3000. While 18 tons of gold were expected to be purchased by the central bank this year, taking advantage of the price increase, it should be increased by 2 tons to reach the previous level. We have reached up to 22 tons of gold in the past. Therefore, reaching up to 20 tons is feasible. From this additional 2 tons, $180 million could be gained, and from the price increase, $500 million could be accumulated, making a total of $680 million to enhance the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The government will mobilize all its resources to achieve this.

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Debt of Over 30 Billion Tugriks Accumulated in the Employment Promotion Fund

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

A debt of over 30 billion tugriks has accumulated in the Employment Promotion Fund since 2013, according to information provided by Enkhbold, head of the Labor and Social Welfare Service Agency. He stated, "A large number of overdue debt cases are currently being discussed in court. We are actively working on directives to recover debts of up to 50 million tugriks each from institutions such as the Unified Sewing Association, Anod Bank, and Capital Bank, as well as individual and business entities that have accumulated significant debts from the Employment Promotion Fund. The total outstanding debt amounts to 30 billion tugriks. In 2013, according to a government resolution, more than 17 billion tugriks were transferred from the Employment Promotion Fund to the Sewing Association. Despite 12 years passing, we have not been able to reduce this debt. Individuals and companies who received financial support in the form of loans but failed to repay them were not registered in the Mongolia Bank's credit information database, which was a significant shortcoming. As a result, loan repayments were delayed. We have organized this issue and, starting from 2024, have begun registering debtors in the Credit Information Database," he said.

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B. Munkhbayasgalan: "Energy Resources" Company Illegitimately Acquired Ukhaa Khudag

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

Member of Parliament B. Munkhbayasgalan provided information about the Energy Resources company. She stated that Energy Resources company had acquired Ukhaa Khudag through fraudulent means. She announced that she is starting to collect signatures to establish a temporary committee of inquiry in the State Great Khural to address the issue of Ukhaa Khudag. A committee can be formed if supported by signatures from 32 members of the State Great Khural. She remarked, "In the Gobi region where I was elected, there are major strategic deposits that fill the national treasury of Mongolia. Only Umnugovi aimag contributes 1.7 trillion MNT to the state budget." For the last 15 years, my life has been directed against Mongolian oligarchs. They pass laws tailored for themselves to take the mineral wealth of Mongolia, exploiting those laws to steal, collaborating with successive governments, the Chief Prosecutor, court officials, police chiefs, Speakers of Parliament, and the President. As an investigative journalist, I have consistently exposed this in my programs, interviews, and articles. I have brought the evidence collected over the last 15 years. I have all the documents regarding Tavan Tolgoi, Energy Resources, Ukhaa Khudag, MAK, Petrovis, the 49% of Erdenet, Trade and Development Bank, the State Bank, and the privatization of all banks. Among these, the government announced that Energy Resources Company fraudulently acquired Ukhaa Khudag and submitted a resolution proposal to Parliament. Ukhaa Khudag is located in our Gobi region. I have sufficient evidence. This theft has been exposed repeatedly. Nobody cared. Now they do. Therefore, I support the government's stance and will lead the effort to establish a committee in Parliament to investigate starting today. The Energy Resources company went to court to invalidate the government resolution claiming they overpaid the mineral resource tax during the 12 years from 2009 to 2021. Energy Resources demands 209.6 billion MNT from the Mongolian state insisting the mineral resource tax law does not apply to them. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. Today, all enterprises and companies operating in the coal market in Mongolia pay mineral resource taxes, except apparently for Energy Resources. This is allegedly because they have a Stability Agreement valid for 23 years, until 2033, with the government. They should show this to us. We have the right to know which laws do not apply to Energy Resources. I believe Energy Resources developed laws for themselves to steal. They fund a large number of members of the State Great Khural. At one time, the government of Mongolia held meetings in Central Tower. I think the situation remains the same now. Therefore, all this must be stopped.

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Center for Public-Private Partnership to Collaborate with MNCCI

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

The "Center for Public-Private Partnership Development" (CPPPD) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) to expand public-private partnerships and create a favorable legal environment. The memorandum was signed by M. Amgalanbaatar, director of CPPPD, and L. Tör-Od, president of MNCCI. Under this memorandum, the parties will actively collaborate to improve the investment environment, eliminate business barriers, simplify entrepreneurship, and strengthen the private sector. They will also work to improve business legal frameworks by providing collective support to incorporate business community feedback into governmental policies and decisions. They plan to mutually support each other's activities and jointly organize efforts to disseminate, introduce, and promote public-private partnership laws and regulations to businesses and the public. The parties will also co-organize meetings and discussions with state agencies and business representatives to expand public-private partnerships, and convey the resulting proposals to relevant government organizations. Additionally, they will establish a council dedicated to public-private partnerships, and hold semi-annual meetings at the leadership level of MNCCI and CPPPD to plan future growth. The collaboration intends to support the establishment and effective operation of local public-private consultation councils, encouraging local administrative bodies' initiative and participation.

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Notice of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting of "KHAN Bank" JSC

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

According to Resolution No. 06 of the Board of Directors of KHAN Bank, the Annual Shareholders' Meeting is being convened. Company Name: "KHAN Bank" JSC. Meeting Venue: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Sukhbaatar District, 3rd Khoroo, Seoul Street-25, KHAN Bank Seoul Office, 1st Floor, KHAN Theater. Meeting Date and Time: 14:00 on April 24, 2025 (Shareholders attending in person should register 1 hour before the start of the meeting). Meeting Format: Hybrid (in person and remote). Record Date for List of Shareholders Entitled to Participate: April 4, 2025. AGENDA: 1. Presentation Items: - Presentation of the operational and financial reports of "KHAN Bank" JSC for 2024. - Presentation on the dividend distribution to the shareholders of "KHAN Bank" JSC. - Presentation on the report closing non-performing loans from the relevant risk funds for 2024. - Presentation of the "Bank's 2024 Audited Financial Statements" conclusion by "PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit" LLC. 2. Discussion Items: - Review and approve the Board's evaluation on the 2024 operations and financial report of "KHAN Bank" JSC. - Presentation and approval of the Board's 2024 work report and the 2025 budget. - Discussion and approval of the revised "Plan for changes in the shareholder structure and contributed capital of "KHAN Bank" JSC". Documents for Shareholders to Review: - Regulations of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting. - Presentation of the 2024 operational and financial report of "KHAN Bank" JSC. - Presentation of the Board's 2024 work report. - Presentation of the Board's 2025 budget. - Draft of the revised plan for changes in the shareholder structure and contributed capital. - Voting ballots for decisions to be discussed at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting. - Draft resolutions of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting. - Other necessary documents as specified in Article 65.6 of the Company Law. Shareholders may familiarize themselves with the meeting materials from April 15, 2025, on working days between 10:00-17:00 at any of the following locations, or through the website www.khanbank.com: - Your respective brokerage company. - KHAN Bank Tower located at Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Khan-Uul District, Stadium Orgil-1, Chinggis Avenue-6. - Phone numbers for the Organizing Committee: 75153333-3221; 86588877; 99007781. - Email: investor_relations@khanbank.com. Shareholders who cannot attend the meeting in person may vote in advance by filling out the voting ballot and either sending it through their brokerage company or submitting it in person at KHAN Bank Tower located at Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Khan-Uul District, Stadium Orgil-1, Chinggis Avenue-6, or any local branches, or submit it electronically via KHAN Bank's website www.khanbank.com. The deadline for collecting voting ballots is 16:00 on April 21, 2025. KHAN Bank JSC Notice: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social and Web pages) must cite their source as (ikon.mn) when fully or partially using our information.

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Diplomacy

The Importance of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Agreement Amidst Falling Coal Prices

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

The bill to ratify the intergovernmental agreement to increase the capacity of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port has been submitted. In relation to this, ministers Ts. Tuvgaan, B. Delgersaikhan, L. Gantomor, and T. Dorjkhand provided information. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Ts. Tuvgaan stated, "We have chosen to resolve the long-stalled border connection issue of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod port through an intergovernmental agreement and have signed a contract. According to the current law, international agreements are ratified by the Parliament. Following this agreement, three main contracts will also be made: - Railway border connection, - Sale and purchase of coal, - Increasing the capacity of the mine. Recently, global trade has faced issues due to the impact of tariffs on the global market. In times when the price of steel and coal are falling, this agreement is extremely important. This is because we will make an agreement to sell an additional 5 million tons of coal on top of the coal previously sold. This will provide the opportunity to concentrate about 400 million USD more," he said. Deputy Prime Minister T. Dorjkhand emphasized, "Around the world, we are in a situation where countries are cutting back their economies due to tariff restrictions. In this case, small open economies suffer, and one of them is Mongolia. We are an exporting country. At this time, it is necessary to increase our export goods and products. This agreement needs to be concluded urgently, as it holds historical significance for the national economy."

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Mongolia Delivers Its Regular Report at UN Human Rights Committee's 143rd Session

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The UN Human Rights Committee is convening in Geneva from March 3-28 to discuss state reports on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Within this framework, government representatives led by the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, N. Myagmar, presented Mongolia's 7th periodic report on the implementation of the ICCPR at the Committee's sessions on March 10-11. They presented the legal and policy reforms, achievements, and activities related to obligations under the Covenant in recent years, and answered questions from Committee members. The Human Rights Committee praised the progress made in increasing women's representation in parliament and discussed a wide range of issues, including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom to assemble peacefully, freedom of the press, environment and air pollution, anti-corruption efforts, and combating human trafficking. The government delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Office of the Prosecutor General, Anti-Corruption Agency, General Agency for Child and Family Development and Protection, General Executive Agency of Court Decisions, Office of the Coordination Council for Crime Prevention, General Police Department, and the Immigration Agency. The UN Human Rights Committee will release its conclusions and recommendations based on the discussions regarding Mongolia's report on March 21, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Follow @montsame.mn

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Speaker of the State Great Hural to visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

The Speaker of the State Great Hural, Dashzegviin Amarbayasgalan, will make an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the 18th to the 23rd of this month at the invitation of the Right Honourable Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons of the British Parliament. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is Mongolia's third neighbor and an important partner in Europe, and this is the first official visit at the level of the Speaker of the Parliament from the Mongolian side. The visit aims to expand relations and cooperation with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, strengthen mutual understanding, increase the frequency of high-level talks and discussions, and activate inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. Additionally, it is aimed at creating a favorable legal and regulatory environment to expand cooperation in sectors such as economy, energy, and education, according to the Press Office of the State Great Hural.

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Four Snow Leopards Gifted to Vladimir Putin Will Be Transferred Soon

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

An international conference on the subject of "Studying, Protecting, and Collaborating on Snow Leopards" recently concluded in the city of Kazan, Russia. During the conference, the Environment Ministers of Russia, Mongolia, and Tatarstan met and discussed various topics. The main subject of discussion was the transfer of four snow leopards that were gifted from Mongolia to Russia, as reported by the Russian publication "Evening Kazan." Specifically, the agreement is being prepared to transfer the four snow leopards that were a gift from the President of Mongolia, U. Khurelsukh, to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to the Russian state. While the exact timing of the transfer is still uncertain, it is planned that two of the snow leopards from Mongolia will be sent to the "Roev Ruchey" Zoo in Krasnoyarsk, and the remaining two will be sent to the "Leopard" Center in the Altai Republic. Additionally, the "Leopard" Center currently houses three snow leopards brought from Kyrgyzstan and a male leopard named Batyr from the Perm Zoo. The plan is to expand international cooperation on studying and protecting snow leopards based on this center. Source: Evening Kazan

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Mongolian Delegation Participates in UN Commission on the Status of Women

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women was held in New York City, USA. Representatives from Mongolia, led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, L. Munkhzul, participated in this session. The conference discussed the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action over the past 30 years and approved a political declaration to be followed in the future. Over 12,000 delegates from more than 180 countries took part in the session, discussing topics such as stopping all forms of violence against girls and women, ensuring gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, technological development, combating online sexual exploitation, political participation, leadership, economic engagement, and support for entrepreneurship. During this time, representatives from our country spoke at a high-level round table meeting organized by the Group Against Violence Against Girls and Women.

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Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Delegation Visited

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

At the invitation of Z. Dashdavaa, the head and chief commissioner of the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) of Mongolia, a delegation led by Tan Sri Dato' Sri Azam bin Baki, the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, made a working visit to Mongolia. During this visit, IAAC's head Z. Dashdavaa stated that combating corruption is a primary direction of both the President and the Prime Minister of Mongolia, with efforts being made to intensify this fight and achieve tangible results. He expressed confidence that an active, effective relationship setting an example of collaboration will be developed. A leading figure from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Azam bin Baki, presented that with the support of Malaysia's Prime Minister, the country is actively developing international cooperation in the field of anti-corruption. Leaders from both countries emphasized their readiness to work together comprehensively in this area, as both institutions aim to combat corruption, enhance public and business integrity, and develop good governance. To formalize this understanding, a memorandum of understanding was established. During this visit, discussions were held on broadening and deepening the relationship and cooperation between the anti-corruption organizations of Mongolia and Malaysia. There was an exchange of ideas on organizing joint training and exercises to enhance the professional skills, knowledge, and capacity of officials, agreeing on various specific issues.

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Infrastructure

Four companies submitted proposals for the waste-to-energy project

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The preliminary evaluation of the "Waste-to-Energy" project, which is being assessed for suitability for implementation through a public-private partnership, has been reported by the press department of the Ulaanbaatar City Governor's Office. Four companies have submitted proposals for the waste-to-energy project, from which the company to build the plant will be selected. Specifically, "Naanovo Green Energy Mongolia" from the United States is one of the companies. This company is a global energy company that has offered suitable solutions for clean energy and energy production. "Eco UB" has been operating since 2014, receiving 3,000-4,000 tons of household waste per day and recycling paper and plastic to produce 50-100 tons of RDF, or refuse-derived fuel. The Sichuan Energy Investment Development Company, established in 2011, is involved in generating, distributing, and supplying electrical energy. Representatives from this company visited Ulaanbaatar last May and conducted research in the field of waste recycling. Shanghai's "SUS Environment," founded in 2008, has submitted a proposal focusing on sludge and construction waste management, environmental remediation, and comprehensive energy solutions. Last year, they invested in 89 projects globally, operating with the capacity to process 120,000 tons of waste daily. The plant is intended to be built based on the central waste sites of Morin and Tsagaan Davaa, with a capacity to incinerate 300,000-400,000 tons of waste annually and produce 24 MW of energy. Warning: Media outlets (TV, Radio, Social, and Websites) must cite their source as "ikon.mn" if using any part of this information.

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Ts.Tuvaan: The Cross-Border Railway Agreement of Gashuunsukhait-Ganqmod Port Was Submitted to Parliament /LIVE/

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

Relevant ministers have been briefed regarding the cross-border railway agreement of the Gashuunsukhait-Ganqmod port, which is being submitted to Parliament. The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ts.Tuvaan, stated, "The government has submitted the intergovernmental agreement on the cross-border railway connection of the Gashuunsukhait-Ganqmod port to the Speaker of Parliament for ratification. We chose the method of solving the issue of the long-stalled railway border connection, coal trade, and increasing the capacity of the mine through an intergovernmental agreement, and we have established such an agreement. According to the laws currently in effect in Mongolia, it must be approved by Parliament, so we are submitting the agreement to them. This agreement includes accompanying contracts between three types of companies. Should the Ministry of Transport be responsible for the railway border connection issue, then long-term contracts for selling and purchasing coal as well as increasing mine capacity are comprised of three comprehensive agreements. Previously, the foundational guideline for establishing the intergovernmental agreement was approved by Parliament. Especially in recent times, due to the policy currently adopted by the USA, the need for steel and the price of coal have decreased, highlighting the importance of this agreement. As a result of the agreement, it will become possible to additionally concentrate around $400 million from coal sales," he said.

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MIAT Introduces Summer Schedule for International Flights

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: isee.mn

MIAT State-Owned Joint-Stock Company has introduced the summer schedule for international flights. Specifically, the summer schedule for international flights, which will be in effect from March 30, 2025, to October 25, 2025, has been presented.

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63306 Households in Ulaanbaatar's Ger District Use Electricity for Heating

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

The price of electricity was increased in November last year. Following this, complaints were received from citizens regarding their electricity bills, prompting the Regulatory Commission for Energy and specialists from UBTS to hold an urgent meeting in January. According to Member of Parliament S. Tsenguun, there are 63,306 households in Ulaanbaatar's ger district that rely on electricity for heating and fall into the third category of consumers with high usage. The Energy Regulatory Commission extended the time period for calculating night tariffs for these households. Meanwhile, Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar stated, "There are 198,000 chimneys in Ulaanbaatar's ger district, according to a census conducted by an organization responsible for reducing air pollution in the city, which was released in July 2024." Out of these, 63,306 households have resolved their heating issues with electricity, while 134,000 households purchase briquettes from the "Tavantolgoi Fuel" company. This news article provides insights into the current situation of heating and air pollution in Ulaanbaatar's ger district.

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T. Davaadalai: Six Major Projects Will Be Initiated Before the Capital's Festival

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

We talked with T. Davaadalai, the first deputy governor of the capital, about the city budget and the developments planned for 2025. - This year's city budget has been approved at an unprecedented high level. How are you focusing on budget spending and ensuring transparency? - The city budget has been planned at a higher level compared to previous years. However, it is still very little money compared to major developments. Specifically, the city's operating cost is estimated at 1.6 trillion MNT and the investment is around 1.8 trillion MNT. For example, 1.8 trillion MNT is less than 600 million dollars, which is a small amount that can be allocated to only 2-3 projects. According to the law, we ensure transparency by publicly posting the budget on our tender and procurement website. Ulaanbaatar hasn't undertaken major developments since the socialist era, specifically since 1983. The city has expanded 5-6 times over the past 40 years. We are trying to correct the distortions of these past 40 years. Our goal is to have most major developments completed by 2032. By 2028, we aim to have 60-70% of the overall work done, with 4-5 projects completed. If we can achieve this, it would mean that Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia as a whole are undergoing unprecedented development. We are taking this bold step. Ultimately, the people of Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia need a pleasant living environment more than money. We want to live without air pollution and traffic jams. Children need green spaces. Currently, the opportunity cost is very high. If there is the will, there is a way. There are many mechanisms in macroeconomics that can be used to implement courageous legal reforms. - The national budget has been revised to eliminate the deficit. Is there a need to revise the city budget? - It is necessary to make revisions. A metro costs 2.4 billion USD, and the Tuul highway costs 700-900 million USD. Since we don't have the capacity to allocate money, we must be prepared to collaborate with international financial institutions and obtain long-term concessional loans. We must be able to make quick adjustments depending on who gives us approval first. To manage finances in the short term, flexibility is essential. Under the current law, if something is planned for a year, any changes require waiting for a budget revision, which can take a year or six months. This process hinders rapid work execution. Small, poor, developing countries with similar populations, like ours, don't necessarily need a large legal system like other countries. Due to bureaucratic processes, work can't be done efficiently. It's pointless to follow the same procedure for both a 2-million-dollar and a 2-billion-dollar purchase. Under the current laws and procedures, various stages of reviews and checks decrease work efficiency. - With the construction season about to start, what projects are planned for the capital in 2025? - Out of the 24 mega development projects, Ulaanbaatar is planning to launch 20. Before the capital's festival in 2025, or within the first half of the year, six major projects will be initiated. The groundwork for the cable transport project has begun. The first project to open for tender and start working will be the Tuul highway. The tender for the Tuul highway has been announced internationally. After that, the "20-minute city" Selbe project will proceed, dividing 10,068 housing units into two tenders. Tender evaluations will be conducted according to the law, about a month later. Also, one of the major projects implemented through public-private partnership is the waste incineration energy project, which will convert waste into energy. In the previous tender, four companies submitted their materials for evaluation, currently undergoing extended stage and full analysis processes according to the law. By May-June 2025, the winning contractors of these projects will be selected and mobilization of works on design and site preparation can begin. Many other planned works are underway. Specifically, a feasibility study for the tram project is being conducted. If possible, we aim to approve the feasibility study before the festival and announce a tender to select the general contractor. Of course, there are many budget and financial issues to be resolved. Additionally, the feasibility study for the Circle I road project is being completed. Negotiations for the Combined Heat and Power Plant V project are ongoing. - Will road repairs continue at the same level as last year? - There will be many locations for small road repairs. The exact number isn't specified. However, comprehensive street projects funded by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are ongoing. Work that was not completed last year will also be continued at various sites. - The metro project has been discussed for many years. What stage is it currently at? - The feasibility study for the metro is finalized and approved. Discussions with international investment banks supporting guarantees are ongoing. Work with the British government, international banks, and the Mongolian government is progressing to finalize financial models. We aim to select the construction and assembly contractor and specify financial models by April or May 2025. The first phase tender has not been closed. - What projects in the energy sector will be prioritized in 2025? - We are revising the feasibility study for Combined Heat and Power Plant V. Work is also ongoing to clear the surrounding area. A business model based on public-private partnerships is being developed. A budget unit has been established in Ulaanbaatar. Currently, Ulaanbaatar's energy consumption is 1.6 GW for power and 3500 Gcal for heating, but by 2040 it is estimated to double to 3 GW for power and 9000 Gcal for heating. Accordingly, plans are divided into phases for 2025-2028, 2028-2030, 2030-2033, and 2033-2035, requiring an estimated investment of 8 billion USD for energy and 6-7 billion USD for heating. With a strong focus on energy and heating, 14 locations will see distributed heat source development, some relying on coal and gas sources. For the first time, we are aiming to utilize geothermal heating, with preliminary feasibility studies announced internationally for Selbe and Hunnu cities. There are numerous issues with securing financial sources. State revisions are necessary, and additional funding must be sourced. - Mongolia has had bitter experiences with stalled major projects. What policies are in place to prevent such issues with the projects being implemented in the capital? - The mega projects being implemented in Ulaanbaatar cannot be funded solely with our national and city budgets. Therefore, we are collaborating simultaneously with all international organizations. Specifically, we are discussing cooperation with IBRD, IFC, the World Bank, ATB, the governments of Russia, Czech Republic, Turkey, China, and South Korea for long-term concessional loans, as well as business entities in those countries. Developing countries like ours cannot handle short-term funding and economic management for massive infrastructure projects. Therefore, we collaborate with major foreign companies to negotiate ownership shares and tariffs. This is how developing countries historically engage in infrastructure projects. We are accordingly engaging in negotiations with multiple parties to initiate public-private partnerships. This year, Mongolia is presenting its first deficit-free budget, creating challenging situations. Developing countries like ours often operate on deficit budgets to cover losses. Developed countries also pass deficit budgets annually, investing in development. We are receiving advice from the Mongolian Bank, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and major international players. - Are staffing issues arising due to the implementation of multiple projects? - Material and logistics must be considered for successful construction. First, workers are necessary to implement so many projects. Therefore, a labor quota policy is being introduced. There are not enough Mongolian workers. Second, significant amounts of materials are necessary for large-scale development. Hence, the route from Zamyn-Üüd to Ulaanbaatar is vital, representing border capability. When constructing any infrastructure in Mongolia, it's important to acknowledge that materials must be imported, particularly from China. Generally, 20-30% of a project's cost is spent on logistics. Measures are being taken at the ministry and prime minister levels. If we can resolve labor importation and logistics from Zamyn-Üüd to Ulaanbaatar, the projects can succeed. From an economic viewpoint, bringing in large foreign investments without placing the burden on local currency is essential to prevent currency inflation and exchange rate increases. Our economy is small, so these macroeconomic factors must be considered. This extends beyond Ulaanbaatar, being a national issue. - You mentioned importing labor. How much foreign labor will be required to implement major projects? - Preliminary estimates are underway. Minister Enk-Amgalan mentioned a figure of 200,000. A legislative bill was introduced, but I'm not well-versed in the details. - What outcomes in terms of development can the capital expect in 2025? - In projects like cable transport, the Tuul highway, Selbe, and the Combined Heat and Power Plant V, significant construction will have commenced with contractors selected. The major projects will activate an economic shock for the year. After the festival, several projects will be launched in Toin I road, scattered sources, and the Emelt Eco Industrial Park. This year will be one of vibrancy in construction, learning through trial and error. Numerous job opportunities will arise in the economic sphere. There will be a shortage of labor in infrastructure and development sectors. - Thank you for the interview.

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Society

"Australia Week" Begins Today

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

In Ulaanbaatar, MONTAME reports that the Australian Embassy is launching "Australia Week" today. As part of this initiative, a women's forum will be organized at the "Shangri-La" hotel. Additionally, there will be a discussion within the framework of the Australian scholarship program's "Women's Leadership Program." Meanwhile, the Alumni Association of Australia will host a meeting tomorrow on the theme "Sustainable Development and Green Energy." To promote Australian indigenous culture and art, didgeridoo musician Matthew Doyle, dancer Brock Tutt, and singer Josh Sly will conduct workshops for music and dance students at the Music and Dance University of Mongolia. Furthermore, a seminar titled "Understanding People with Hearing Impairments" will be held in the "Sulde" hall of the "Tuushin" hotel, organized by the Australian Volunteer Program. On March 19 and 20, an exhibition offering Australian products at discounted prices is planned to be opened. It is worth mentioning that since the 1990s, over 500 Mongolian citizens have studied and graduated in Australia through the Australian scholarship program. Additionally, a bilateral air transport agreement was signed last year. In recent years, the number of Mongolian citizens traveling to Australia has increased, along with the need to understand the scholarship programs announced by that country and its customs and culture. Follow @montsame.mn

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Free Legal Advice Day

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

A free legal advice day will be organized on the 19th of this month by the Urban Development Department of the City and the Mongolian Bar Association, aimed at providing legal education to the city's residents. This event, which is organized regularly on the third Wednesday of each month, has become a tradition. During the upcoming Wednesday's event, citizens can go to branches located at the "Dunjingarav," "Dragon," "Misheel Expo," "Selbe" sub-center, and the "E-Mart" at the end point of III and IV microdistricts, as well as the district administration's complex in Yarmag, block B, to receive advice. Those who cannot attend in person may call 75050801, 75050802, 75050803, or 75050804 to get basic legal advice. Lawyers from the two organizations will provide assistance in civil, administrative, criminal, family, and contract law between 09:00 and 16:00.

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Environment

Sustainable Agriculture and Multilateral Cooperation Forum Successfully Held

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

"Ulaanbaatar Guril" LLC and "Kem Tek" LLC jointly organized the "Sustainable Agriculture and Multilateral Cooperation-2025" forum in Darkhan city. Held at the Plant and Agricultural Research Institute, this forum included important discussions on the revival and sustainable development of the agricultural sector in Mongolia. Forum guests emphasized that this event is a key measure in uniting many major organizations in the field for revitalizing national agriculture, ensuring food safety, and hygiene. The forum aimed to open up new opportunities and initiatives. The director of the factory of "Ulaanbaatar Guril," P. Nyamkhuu, explained that the company is committed to introducing world-class technology and innovative practices, maintaining the quality of local raw materials at the highest level, and producing healthy food products. The cooperation aims not only to increase opportunities for agricultural innovation and financing but also to provide the public with quality and safe food products, strengthening the competitiveness of the country's food production and market. Representatives from "Ulaanbaatar Guril" LLC, Khan Bank, and other cooperating organizations participated to develop policies and plans on the sector's new initiatives, technology exchange, and financial support, intending to expand their cooperation in the future. The forum included three sessions covering topics such as flour production, wheat quality, financing opportunities, and ways to enhance soil fertility for Mongolian farmers and entrepreneurs. "Ulaanbaatar Guril" LLC's factory director, P. Nyamkhuu, in the finance and technology cooperation session, presented the current requirements for flour production and wheat quality standards, stating, "We strive to ensure the quality of grain meets national standards to deliver healthy and quality flour to Mongolian consumers." Additionally, Khan Bank manager M. Gerelmaa introduced new financing opportunities for farmers, noting, "The interest rate on agricultural loans has been reduced to 10%. This will alleviate the financial burden on farmers." As part of the “Support for Sustainable Agriculture through Multilateral Cooperation,” "Ulaanbaatar Guril" LLC plans to organize annual discussions in the future with organizations operating in the agricultural sector. "Increasing crop yield with good seeds is the key to soil fertility," said Mongolia's honored agronomist, Dr. Ya. Myagmarsuren, who introduced seed processing technology and new planting methods, lecturing on "Seed Selection and Quality" in the context of Sustainable Agriculture. Additionally, the head of the Central Asia Soil Science Association, B. Undrakh-Od, provided detailed information on restoring soil structure and using organic fertilizers, while Vadim Levsovsky, a representative of the world's leading fertilizer producer Yara International, shared the company's advanced technology and fertilizer solutions, emphasizing, "Learning from Yara's experience can increase the yield of Mongolian farmers by up to 30%." Participants concluded by stating that there is no doubt that Mongolia's agriculture sector will create new achievements and play a crucial role in producing healthy, quality food products that meet global standards. "This forum will be the starting point to align Mongolia's agriculture and flour industry with global standards. We are fully prepared to cooperate with farmers, banks, and technology leaders," said "Ulaanbaatar Guril" LLC's CEO, N. Bakatgul. Note: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social, and Web pages) must credit the source (ikon.mn) when using our information in whole or in part.

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An Earthquake of Magnitude 3.5 Occurs in Bayankhongor Province

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 occurred in Bayangovi soum of Bayankhongor province today at 05:14. The Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences reported that around 40 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 3.5 have been recorded in Mongolia since the beginning of 2024. From January 1 to December 5, 2024, a total of 38,304 earthquakes occurred in the territory of Mongolia and its border areas. Among these, 22,610 happened within the Mongolian region. Out of all these earthquakes, there were 36 times when the magnitude was between 3.5 and 4.4, and four times when it was between 4.5 and 5.6. The strength of an earthquake is evaluated on a scale using both magnitude and intensity, rated up to 8.0 magnitude and 12 degrees of intensity. Magnitude measures the energy released at the earthquake's source beneath the earth. Intensity is the perceived effect on people and structures. A magnitude of 2.5 can only be recorded by instruments. A magnitude of 2.5 to 5.4 can be felt by people and might cause slight damage. A magnitude between 5.5 and 6.0 can cause minor damage, while a magnitude of 6.1 to 6.9 can cause more significant damage in urban areas. Earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 to 7.9 are considered to cause severe destruction, and those over 8.0 magnitude are extremely destructive, especially near the epicenter. Earthquake hazards are natural disasters that can destroy the lives of many people and human-made structures. In recent years, the strength and frequency of earthquakes have been increasing not only in Mongolia but also worldwide. The last recorded earthquake was on December 5, 2024, at 06:16:56, with a magnitude of 5.2 in an area called "Shivdeg" in the 3rd bag of Khankh soum, Khövsgöl province. The strongest earthquake registered in the last decade in Khövsgöl province was on January 12, 2021, in Khankh soum, with a magnitude of 6.5. The issue of earthquakes, the risks they pose, and the preparedness for them is a vital topic for everyone to consider. Hence, citizens are advised to consult guidance on how to prepare for an earthquake and the measures to take during one on the website www.belenbai.mn, to protect themselves and others from potential disasters.

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Innovation

Ensuring Uninterrupted State Electronic Services

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications Ts. Baatarkhuu met with the head of the General Authority for State Registration (GASR), U. Boldkhuu, and other representatives to discuss professional advice and collaborative solutions to the challenges faced by state electronic services. GASR services are among the most in-demand for citizens and legal entities. Therefore, the meeting focused on issues hindering the digitalization of services like reordering children's passports, submitting quality photos for passport applications, issuing verifications and certificates in English and Korean, and digitalizing death registrations. The parties agreed to cooperate in 13 key areas, including: - Introducing blockchain technology into services provided to individuals and legal entities; - Storing the primary database at a backup center in Darkhan-Uul province; - Creating a notification system for changes and interruptions in API services supplied to the main system; - Integrating the "G-Sign" digital signature system with the Identity and Access Management (DAN) system to accelerate digital signature issuance; - Enhancing the E-Business platform for comprehensive operations and real-time information exchange; - Increasing and improving services through the Unified State Services system, such as reordering children's passports, providing high-quality photos for passports, and adding fields to API services; - Issuing verifications and certificates in English, Korean, and other languages; - Fully digitalizing the process of death registration and sharing information in real-time across sectors; - Digitalizing the recording of property lien agreements and modifications in the state's property rights registry; - Implementing state electronic services in registration "Kiosk" machines and offering 24/7 service access points; - Supporting the digital transformation of court decisions and information exchange; - Posting open data quarterly on "Opendata.gov.mn"; - Establishing real-time data exchange connections with systems such as the State Emergency Commission's intersectoral information system and the Open Data System "Shilen.gov.mn." The meeting underscored the challenges in digitalizing high-demand services such as reordering children's passports, sending quality photos for passport orders, and issuing certificates in English and Korean. By cooperating on the agreed 13 directions, both parties aim to enhance the accessibility and reliability of state electronic services.

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Vacancy Announcement for Project Open Position

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The Government of Mongolia, with funding from the Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank, announces the following open position for the "Ulaanbaatar Urban Services and Ger Areas Development Investment Program," implemented in the capital. The deadline for receiving materials is March 28, 2025, at 3:00 PM. 1. PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST The "ULAANBAATAR URBAN SERVICES AND GER AREAS DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT PROGRAM" Project is seeking a professional for the position of Procurement Specialist. The selected candidate will directly report to the PMO Project Coordinator. Contract: Full-time for one year with possible extension based on performance starting from April 2025. Under the project coordinator’s supervision and in close coordination with the Governor’s Office of Capital City (GOCC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the duties and responsibilities of the Procurement Specialist will include the following tasks but not limited to: - Ensure that the procurement under the project is conducted in accordance with ADB guidelines and the project procurement plan approved by ADB and the government, and its updates. - Closely coordinate with PMO staff including field coordinators and all consultants. - Regularly update the procurement plan as required under ADB guidelines and seek approval from the GOCC. - Provide assistance to GOCC and the evaluation and recruitment committees in organizing procurement and recruitment of consultants to accelerate processes. - The main assignment of the procurement specialist will be in coordination with the GOCC and ADB to organize the procurement process and prepare documentation, including invitation for bids, bidding documents, employer's requirement, bid evaluation reports, letters of awards, draft contracts, etc., in the procurement of goods, works, and services including consultancies. - Provide assistance to the project coordinator and to the tender evaluation committee in the tendering process for procurement under the project in accordance with procurement guidelines, including (a) preparation and publication of invitations to bid, (b) coordinate answers to bidders' queries, (c) evaluation of tenders, and (d) preparation of bid evaluation reports. - Assist in addressing and providing answers to bidder queries and in organizing bidder site visits as needed. - Coordinate with the processes of no-objection by the ADB during the procedures of evaluations of tenders and consultants’ proposals. - Liaise with ADB staff as required and submit items to ADB requiring prior review and documents needing ADB approval. - Make necessary arrangements for contract signatures in consultation with the GOCC. - Keep track of procurement and consultant recruitment activities against procurement timetables, highlight variations in progress, record reasons, and identify remedial actions if any. - Assist in the selection of community-based sub-grants. - Prepare periodic progress reports on the status of procurement and consultant recruitment as required by the project coordinator. Essential requirements: - Minimum 5 years of practical experience in contracts of civil works, goods, and services in Mongolia. - A university degree in law, business, management, accounting, engineering, or a related field with extensive demonstrated knowledge of contract systems and processes. - Extensive experience and knowledge of national contractual procedures and regulations, knowledge of ADB or international donors’ procurement guidelines and procedures is essential as well as knowledge of international agreements. - High level of English and Mongolian proficiency (to be proven with relevant certificates (diplomas) and/or during the interview). Deadline: The candidate should submit the following documents before 3:00 PM, March 28, 2025: - Curriculum vitae in English (using ADB format for individual consultants) and Mongolian, with a recent photo taken within the last 6 months. - Copies of diplomas and relevant certificates. - Copy of national citizenship ID. - Copies of the Labor and Social Insurance books (first page and subsequent pages indicating the employment mobility). - Reference or recommendation letters from current and/or previous employers. - Cover letter in English. Project Management Office Attention to: Mr. A. Erkhembayar Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar, Khoroo 8, Baga toiruu 1, Amar Street -2, Central cultural Palace – 407 E-mail: info@ub-subcenter.mn Tel: 70003099 Download ADB CV: https://bit.ly/3nJMVzm Warning: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social, and Web pages) must cite their source (ikon.mn) when using our information in any form, fully or partially.

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"Badrakh Energy" LLC Organizes Training Seminar on In-Situ Leaching Technology

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

“Badrakh Energy” LLC, in collaboration with Orano Mining College, the National University of Mongolia, and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, plans to organize a series of training seminars in 2025 aimed at providing knowledge on in-situ leaching technology. The first seminar on the topic "Geological Structure and Features of Deposits Suitable for In-Situ Leaching Technology" started on March 14. This year's training seminars will comprise a total of 5 modules. The training, held at the National University of Mongolia, was opened by the leadership of the National University of Mongolia, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, and “Badrakh Energy” LLC, who extended their well wishes to the participating teachers and students. As a reminder, "Badrakh Energy" LLC established memorandums of cooperation with the National University of Mongolia, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, and the Polytechnic College in Sainshand in 2023. The planned activities within the framework of this cooperation are being realized. For instance, in 2024, over 30 teachers and students from the two aforementioned schools participated in lectures and seminars organized and led by “Badrakh Energy” company and Orano Mining College experts, focusing on the emerging uranium sector and in-situ leaching technology in our country.

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The First AI-Based "AITHON 2025" Creative Competition Announced

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: itoim.mn

We had a conversation with A. Uuganbayar and A. Amarbayer, the founders of DURAN.AI. They have announced the first AI-based creative competition in Mongolia. We discussed this in detail. - Can you introduce your AI-based competition? - Our daily work and lifestyles are being significantly altered by technological advancement, particularly artificial intelligence, which continues to reduce technological dependency. This presents a real opportunity for individuals and teams to achieve success with optimized solutions in a short period. Therefore, by creatively utilizing AI, we aim to find solutions to existing challenges in our lives and increase public awareness of AI's capabilities, thereby contributing to social development. With this goal, the first Mongolian AI creative competition, Aithon 2025, has been openly announced. - Why was it named "Aithon"? - Compared to competitions such as hackathons, it has a broader scope and is more flexible in terms of time, allowing participants to create content at their own pace. Furthermore, it is distinctive in that the creations must use 100% AI and be in the native language. The initial selection round will also be conducted online, offering numerous advantages irrespective of time or geographical location, hence the AI abbreviation with "thon" added. Especially recently, the creation of video images, background music, and human speech into text with AI assistance has become common internationally at low costs and in short timeframes. We want every Mongolian to keep up with technological development, especially AI, hence the decision to name it "Aithon." - Who is eligible to participate? - Our competition is open to anyone interested in AI, not just developers and engineers. Today, even primary school students use technology effectively. Whether they are playing a game or continuously using an app, it might seem like just play, yet it's actually the beginning stage in some form. AI has already identified the user's level and interests, offering suitable tasks and keeping them engaged. Therefore, anyone using technology can be considered an AI user, and participation is open regardless of age, occupation, field, or location across Mongolia. In other words, from elementary school students to experts in various fields, all can participate. We have posted examples of content created entirely by AI on our page, from which participants can draw inspiration to join the competition. - What are the main requirements of the competition? - Fewer people speak Mongolian compared to developed countries, so we tend to lag behind in technological development. Thus, through the BETA (initial trial) version of our Tsetsen project, which converts texts into speech in the native language, we aim to raise public awareness about the significance and potential of AI. Consequently, we are organizing Mongolia's first AI-based creative competition in collaboration with Startup Terminal. The main feature of the Tsetsen project is aimed at creating conditions where it speaks just like a human. You can read your desired text at your own pace with your own voice. Personally, when I am in front of the camera, I sometimes swap the sequence of what I intend to say (laughed). The task for the competition is also simply to create a video content of up to 3 minutes. - Do you have anything else to add? - We have started implementing AI-based infrastructure projects named Tsetsen (talking), Dleden (listening), and Duran (searching). We wish for every Mongolian to benefit from AI in their native language. Furthermore, we will adhere to the principle of providing these projects for everyone, startups, and every organization to use as APIs. Meanwhile, others should focus on socially important matters with this readily available technology without losing time. If we can achieve this, we believe we can develop together. If everyone were to invent the wheel, it would be challenging in terms of time, cost, and manpower. Finally, we urge participation in the "Aithon 2025" competition and trying out the systems developed in the native language. Registrations will continue until March 22, 2025. More detailed information can be accessed through the Duran.AI Facebook page. - Thank you for the interview. We wish you success.

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Health

51 Measles Cases Confirmed in Laboratory

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: gogo.mn

In the last 24 hours, 12 cases have been confirmed in Ulaanbaatar, 8 in Dundgovi Province, and 4 in Ömnögovi Province, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed measles cases to 51, with 11 suspected cases also registered, as reported by the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD). Rapid response teams are working in the provinces and children's institutions where confirmed and suspected cases have been registered, providing monitoring, vaccination, and professional support and guidance. Therefore, parents and caregivers are advised to responsibly manage their children's health, confirm whether they have been fully vaccinated against measles according to the schedule, and if they have not received both doses of the measles vaccine, to contact family or district health centers to complete the vaccination. If you experience fever, a rash, or have been in contact with a confirmed measles case, please visit room 1 or 2 of the NCCD's emergency department or your local health center for examination and vaccination. For clarification, please contact 89016199 or 75103100.

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An Outbreak of Measles in Dundgovi Leads to Transition of School and Kindergarten Activities to Online Format

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

There have been 24 confirmed laboratory cases and 19 suspected cases of measles nationwide. As a result of a confirmed case in Dundgovi province on the 15th of this month, all school and kindergarten activities in the region have been moved online. Specifically, due to the outbreak in Dundgovi province, the governor issued an order to temporarily limit activities in polytechnic colleges, schools, kindergartens, educational institutions, day care centers, and all child-related activities from the 15th to the 28th of this month. In response, a team from the National Center for Communicable Diseases is conducting surveillance, clinical studies, and laboratory testing in Umnugovi and Dundgovi provinces. Additionally, teams are traveling to Govi-Altai, Bayan-Ölgii, and Khovd provinces to provide professional advice, support, and monitor the situation. Furthermore, the National Center for Communicable Diseases, along with provincial, capital city, and district health centers, has placed 2,600 people under observation and vaccinated over 720 against measles. Measles symptoms include high fever, rash with spots, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis, with an incubation period of 10–12 days. Therefore, the National Center for Communicable Diseases advises parents and guardians to ensure their children receive the scheduled measles vaccination.

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Gobi-Altai: The NCCD team provides professional support

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The professional team of surveillance, laboratory, immunization, and clinical experts from the National Centre for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) is working in Gobi-Altai province. They are assessing and supporting the local response readiness due to confirmed cases of measles reported in the provinces of Umnugovi and Dundgovi. The working group will provide assessments and professional support to the province's health department's incident management team, the general hospital, and family health centers by reviewing their response operations. Given the increase in measles cases, the health department has urged parents and guardians to take responsibility for their children's health by verifying whether they have fully received the scheduled measles vaccination. If children have not received both doses per the schedule, they should contact their family or regional health centers to ensure they get vaccinated. Symptoms of measles include: - Fever - Redness and inflammation of eye mucosa - Runny nose - Cough - White spots with red edges in the mouth mucosa - A red, spotty rash starting from the face and spreading across the body. If these symptoms appear, seek immediate assistance from a health organization and contact the following numbers for more information: 88666708, 99087762, 86207711.

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Discussion Topic: Should We Keep Paying Money and Risking Our Health?

Published: 2025-03-17 | Translated from: news.mn

They say beauty requires sacrifice, but is it necessary to risk your health to change the body you were born with? In recent years, girls and women have been spending a lot of money to enhance their appearance and look even more beautiful. As a result, some women are suffering from health problems and lifelong troubles. In some cases, people have even lost their lives. In March 2019, a 29-year-old woman tragically lost her life after undergoing surgery at the "Tod Kanname" clinic to tone her abdominal area. During the procedure, her heart stopped, and she was taken to the First Hospital, where she passed away. It was later reported that the clinic lacked a license and professional doctors, but the issue was largely ignored at the time. Other women who had eyelid surgeries or breast augmentation at the clinic also suffered damage to their health and beauty. Last week, a similar mistake happened at another cosmetic clinic, leaving a citizen permanently blind. "I decided to change my nose because it was too low and droopy. However, it wasn't an easy decision. It took almost half a month to choose a clinic. Booking an appointment at renowned clinics highly skilled in such surgeries was difficult, and they were expensive. Hence, I opted for a moderately priced clinic with a clean environment. I was convinced because many influencers recommended this clinic by posting their post-surgery nose and breast pictures online. I underwent a nose lift and tip refinement surgery and had my stitches removed a week later. The day after, I woke up with a swollen face. I went back to the clinic, and they drained blood from my nose and advised me to take antibiotics. When my condition did not improve, the doctor chided me, saying, 'This happens during recovery. You are overreacting.' After a month, another clinic diagnosed inflammation and necrosis in my nasal cartilage due to improper surgical procedures, like incorrect implant placement. When I went back to my surgery clinic, they claimed, 'You didn't follow recovery instructions. Your immunity is weak,' and dismissed me. I couldn't get a refund and had no interest in further treatment there, so I didn't pursue legal action," explained a woman in her 30s. While sharing how she was "played" by amateurs in her quest for beauty, she mentioned meeting many women in similar situations. We know a popular cosmetic clinic in Mongolia, often advertised by famous people, was involved in a 2022 case where a woman's retina artery was blocked, causing blindness in her right eye due to the doctor's negligence during a filler injection in the forehead or eye area. Despite this, the clinic continues its operations and even released a statement asking not to tarnish its reputation, claiming that all court cases were resolved by paying compensation. This situation shows there is no clear oversight on establishments operating in this field. Mistakes happen, and responsibility is often not taken. Additionally, at the Orbita clinic, a citizen suffered deteriorating eye health after surgery and has been dealing with the courts and police for several days, as reported. The demand among women for fat reduction, wrinkle smoothing, nose elevating, and cheek refining has driven the growth of the cosmetic medical industry. Moreover, the salaries of cosmetic surgeons and staff are 2-3 times higher than Mongolia's average wage, indicating significant financial turnover in the sector. It is good that the days of women traveling abroad for costly procedures are behind us. However, with increased demand, more establishments and individuals are exploiting people under the pretense of cosmetic surgery, causing harm to their health and finances. Whether on street corners or in corridors of residential buildings, even without proper licenses, these salons perform nose, lip fillers, and eyelid surgeries. Licensed clinics, too, play with people's faces and finances during surgeries. Without supervision and accountability, the number of women suffering from cosmetic surgery complications will not decrease. People continue to experience lifelong health and beauty issues, and in some cases, lose their lives.

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Today's Stories

Politics

Economy

Diplomacy

Infrastructure

Society

Environment

Innovation

Health

Politics

BREAKING: A. Munkhtulga Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Collaborating with Foreign Intelligence

The Bill to Ratify the Agreement to Increase the Capacity of Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Port to be Submitted by L. Oyun-Erdene

Bill to Ratify Agreement on Increasing Capacity of Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Port Introduced

Submission of the Draft Law on Ratification of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Border Agreement

Key Decisions from China's Two Sessions

Mongolia is Retreating from Democracy to Autocracy

Parliament Spring Session to Discuss "Hot" Issues

D. Amarbaysgalan: The Parliament Will Focus on Creating the Legal Basis for Implementing Mega Projects

N. Uchral: Certain Amendments Will Be Made to the Exchange Law

Governors of Dundgovi and Umnugovi Accused of Breaking the Law

The Plenary Session Transferred to Closed Mode to Hear the National Security Council's Information

Establishment of a Subcommittee to Investigate the 'Energy Resource' Case and Take Leadership

A Case of Misappropriated Overtime Payments by School Official

Economy

C. Tuvaan: Approving the intergovernmental agreement will create an additional opportunity worth 400 million dollars

D.Amarbayasgalan: Some excessively high taxes should be reduced to international levels

Ts. Tuvaan: The Decline in Coal Prices Will Continue for a Long Time

T.Tuvaan: Approving the Agreement Will Increase Coal Sales by 400 Million Dollars

Bank, NBFIs, and Pawnshops Must Enter Loan Information into the Credit Information Database Within 24 Hours

Events: Press Conference to Present "Banking Sector Overview 2024" Study

Polish-Mongolian Business Forum Attracts Over 180 Enterprises

News Guide: Introduction of the "Banking Sector Overview 2024" Study

Banking Sector's Total Assets Grow by 23% as System Banks Expected to Distribute 530 Billion MNT Dividends This Year

There may be a risk of interruption in tax revenue collected from businesses in the state budget

The Employment Support Fund to Allocate 130 Billion MNT to Job Placement and Labor Market Stabilization This Year

Notice of Annual Shareholders' Meeting of Golomt Bank JSC

B.Javkhlan: If We Hadn't Managed The Debt, We Would Have Faced A Crisis

Debt of Over 30 Billion Tugriks Accumulated in the Employment Promotion Fund

B. Munkhbayasgalan: "Energy Resources" Company Illegitimately Acquired Ukhaa Khudag

Center for Public-Private Partnership to Collaborate with MNCCI

Notice of the Annual Shareholders' Meeting of "KHAN Bank" JSC

Diplomacy

The Importance of the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Agreement Amidst Falling Coal Prices

Mongolia Delivers Its Regular Report at UN Human Rights Committee's 143rd Session

Speaker of the State Great Hural to visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Four Snow Leopards Gifted to Vladimir Putin Will Be Transferred Soon

Mongolian Delegation Participates in UN Commission on the Status of Women

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Delegation Visited

Infrastructure

Four companies submitted proposals for the waste-to-energy project

Ts.Tuvaan: The Cross-Border Railway Agreement of Gashuunsukhait-Ganqmod Port Was Submitted to Parliament /LIVE/

MIAT Introduces Summer Schedule for International Flights

63306 Households in Ulaanbaatar's Ger District Use Electricity for Heating

T. Davaadalai: Six Major Projects Will Be Initiated Before the Capital's Festival

Society

"Australia Week" Begins Today

Free Legal Advice Day

Environment

Sustainable Agriculture and Multilateral Cooperation Forum Successfully Held

An Earthquake of Magnitude 3.5 Occurs in Bayankhongor Province

Innovation

Ensuring Uninterrupted State Electronic Services

Vacancy Announcement for Project Open Position

"Badrakh Energy" LLC Organizes Training Seminar on In-Situ Leaching Technology

The First AI-Based "AITHON 2025" Creative Competition Announced

Health

51 Measles Cases Confirmed in Laboratory

An Outbreak of Measles in Dundgovi Leads to Transition of School and Kindergarten Activities to Online Format

Gobi-Altai: The NCCD team provides professional support

Discussion Topic: Should We Keep Paying Money and Risking Our Health?

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