Politics
Parliament Calls Special Session to Consider 2026 Budget Changes
Published: 2026-09-03
Parliament Speaker S. Byambatsogt has ordered a special parliamentary session from September 7 to 14, with its first plenary meeting set for 10:00 on September 7. Lawmakers will consider amendments to the 2026 budget framework statement and the 2027-2028 fiscal projections, along with proposed changes to the 2026 state budget, National Wealth Fund budget, Social Insurance Fund budget and Health Insurance Fund budget. The government submitted the budget-amendment bill two weeks earlier. One report said the proposal keeps balanced budget revenue at MNT 31.9 trillion while increasing expenditure by about MNT 1 trillion to MNT 34 trillion, raising the deficit to 2 percent of GDP. It also reported proposed spending on pensions, public-sector wages, fuel storage and power-station repairs. Parliament’s regular session is scheduled to open on September 15.
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Court Orders 30-Day Detention for Philosopher S. Molor-Erdene
Published: 2026-09-03
A district court ordered philosopher S. Molor-Erdene held for 30 days while Mongolia’s General Intelligence Agency investigates him on suspicion of an offense against national unity. Prosecutors charged him under Article 19.9.1 of the Criminal Code, which covers organizing advocacy or calls to incite hostility, discord or secession based on nationality, ethnicity, language, skin color, religious doctrine or beliefs. The court accepted the prosecutors’ detention request on September 2, citing information that he could flee or destroy, alter, conceal or fabricate evidence. Reports said the investigation followed remarks he made during a social-media interview with Japanese citizen Tomoko, including statements questioning Mongolian national identity and Genghis Khan’s connection to Mongolia. Public reaction has been divided, with some raising concerns about freedom of expression and others supporting legal accountability. The investigation remains ongoing.
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Government Plans Tighter Oversight of State-Owned Companies
Published: 2026-09-03
Prime Minister N. Uchral says he plans to integrate state-owned companies’ budgets into the national budget, bringing spending now decided by company executives before parliamentary discussion. According to news.mn, he has also said that from 2027, 30% of profitable state-owned companies’ total profits would be consolidated into the budget and loss-making companies dissolved. Separately, itoim.mn says a law passed in spring permits up to 30% of state-owned company dividends to be transferred to the budget. The same commentary describes using dividend revenue for tax relief, public-sector pay increases and guaranteed pensions as among Uchral’s stated decisions. News.mn also reports that management changes are being discussed at Erdenes Alt Resource, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi, Gashuunsukhait Road and Darkhan Metallurgical Plant.
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Ministry Begins Drafting Rules for New Family Laws
Published: 2026-09-03
The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection has started drafting 10 implementing rules, regulations and methodologies for two newly adopted family-law measures. Parliament gave final approval on July 3 to the revised Family Law and the Law on Family Case Adjudication. The family-case law will take effect on November 1, while the revised Family Law is scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2027. Ministry family-policy director D. Munguntul and officials met representatives of the Ulaanbaatar Family and Child Affairs Primary Court administration to discuss implementation. Participants highlighted the need to establish working conditions for psychologists involved in mediation. The laws will establish Mongolia’s first specialized court for family and child cases, with children’s interests prioritized in proceedings.
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Economy
AI-92 Deliveries Underway as Officials Work to Increase Provincial Supply
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia imported 7,200 tonnes of AI-92 petrol in 120 rail wagons from September 1 to 3, according to the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority. Of that volume, 1,672 tonnes in 28 wagons were being delivered to railway stations at Tolgoit, Arshaant, Darkhan, Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar. On September 2, suppliers dispatched 976 tonnes to 93 filling stations in Ulaanbaatar and 634 tonnes to 54 stations outside the capital. About 70 AI-92 wagons had been unloaded at stations near Ulaanbaatar. Authorities were also organizing fuel deliveries to about 30 soums experiencing shortages. Officials said queues in the capital had shortened, with most stations operating without queues, and that they were working this week to increase supply to provincial filling stations.
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Permit Renewals Exempted From Tax and Social-Insurance Debt Requirement
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia has removed the requirement that businesses have no outstanding tax or social-insurance contribution debt when renewing permits. The change was discussed on September 3 at a permit-reform training event hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Development’s Investor Rights Protection Center. Officials said the government has reduced the number of state-issued special permits from 371 to 360 and digitized most permit-application processes. Under updated procedures, permits may be renewed within two days without an inspection when compliance with permit conditions has been established for at least one year before expiry. A study estimates that about 49,000 special permits could qualify for simplified renewal by December 2026. Agencies are working to make the process available and transparent through an electronic system.
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2027 Budget Proposal Projects MNT 2.31 Trillion Deficit
Published: 2026-09-03
The government has submitted its 2027 budget bill to parliament. The bill projects MNT 41.3 trillion in balanced revenue, MNT 43.6 trillion in expenditure, and separately lists a MNT 2.306 trillion deficit. It proposes MNT 5.77 trillion for investment and MNT 5.99 trillion for principal debt repayments. Tax revenue is projected at MNT 33.0051 trillion, up 13.6 percent from expected 2026 collections, with mining-sector taxes estimated at MNT 10.91 trillion. The plan assumes exports of 110 million tonnes of coal and 2.1 million tonnes of copper concentrate. Umnugovi is expected to transfer MNT 1.57 trillion to the state budget, while Khuvsgul would receive MNT 56.4 billion in fiscal support. The bill also sets a MNT 6.4 trillion ceiling for new government debt guarantees.
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Government Sets Wheat Purchase Prices for Strategic Food Reserves
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia will buy wheat for strategic reserves at prices ranging from MNT 1.15 million to MNT 1.45 million per tonne, depending on quality grade. Grade I wheat will be purchased at MNT 1.45 million per tonne, followed by MNT 1.35 million for Grade II, MNT 1.25 million for Grade III and MNT 1.15 million for Grade IV. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry and the Agricultural Corporation based the calculation on a cost survey of more than 120 farmers and companies in 41 soums across 11 provinces, alongside growers’ proposals. The government plans to reserve 100,000 tonnes of food wheat this year, about one-third of the expected harvest, to meet domestic demand and stabilize prices.
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Coal Truck Traffic at Gantsmod Drops After Chinese Embassy Official Raises Safety Concerns
Published: 2026-09-03
Coal truck traffic through the Gantsmod border crossing fell sharply in mid-August after an incident involving employees of Chinese-invested Mongolia Foyson Energy in Matad soum, Dornod Province. Two days later, Chinese Embassy chargé d’affaires Cao Li told an industry-ministry official that he was concerned about the safety of Chinese enterprises and workers. Chinese coal-sector data cited average daily truck crossings falling from 1,379 on August 10–12 to 590 on August 17–23, with the source describing a sharp decline that continued through month-end. During August 17–28, Anze domestic coking-coal spot prices reached USD 357.1 per tonne, more than 20% above late-July levels. The source says Presidents Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Xi Jinping discussed Chinese-invested enterprises during their SCO summit meeting.
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Tourist Arrivals Rise 19% as Russia Is the Largest Reported Source Market
Published: 2026-09-03
Tourist arrivals rose 19% year on year in both reports. One report said 718,900 tourists arrived in the first eight months, including 240,900 from Russia and 174,100 from China; it identified South Korea, Japan, and Kazakhstan as other leading markets. Another report put first-nine-month arrivals at 718,940 and said Russians accounted for 33.4% of that total, followed by Chinese and South Korean visitors. It recorded July as the highest month, with 150,257 arrivals, and February as the lowest, with 39,320. The first report said August alone brought 149,900 visitors and said COP17 contributed to increased foreign arrivals. The figures count foreign nationals entering for purposes other than study, work, or permanent residence, although tourism researchers and businesses question whether some people classified as tourists are actually arriving for employment. The government has set a target of one million tourist arrivals for the year.
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Diplomacy
Russia and Mongolia Target Fuel Security, Power and Transport Projects
Published: 2026-09-03
Prime Minister Uchral met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on September 2 during the Eastern Economic Forum, where the two sides agreed to accelerate cooperation on fuel, energy, transport, infrastructure, mining and agriculture. They identified stable supplies of petrol and petroleum products, a rail corridor linking Mongolia, Russia and China, the expansion and modernization of Thermal Power Plant No. 3, a joint study of the Asgat mine, and a proposed gas pipeline through Mongolia to China as priority work. On September 3, Uchral also met Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev to discuss fuel supplies. Rosneft and Gazprom Neft said they would maintain stable deliveries under their government’s decision, despite Russia’s April export ban on petroleum products. The sides also discussed veterinary cooperation to support livestock exports under the interim Eurasian Economic Union trade agreement.
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Japan and Mongolia Reach Principle Agreement on Airport Expansion Financing
Published: 2026-09-03
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi visited Ulaanbaatar on September 3-4 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Battsetseg. He met President Khurelsukh and Parliament Speaker Byambatsogt as the two countries reviewed their Special Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. The sides welcomed a principle agreement to expand and increase capacity at Chinggis Khaan International Airport through a Japanese concessional loan; one report put the proposed financing at JPY 65 billion over 40 years, at 0.1-0.2 percent annual interest. They also discussed potential cooperation in energy, infrastructure, renewable energy, digital government, information technology, critical minerals, start-ups, education and tourism. Japan said it would study the airport expansion and two Mongolian requests: moving domestic flights to Buyant-Ukhaa Airport and considering visa exemptions for short-term Mongolian visitors. A government-private sector meeting is planned for November.
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China, Russia and Mongolia to Hold Border Security Exercise
Published: 2026-09-03
Military units from China, Russia and Mongolia will hold the joint Border Protection Cooperation-2026 exercise during the first ten days of September, according to China’s Ministry of National Defense. The exercise will focus on preventing and stopping reconnaissance and sabotage activities in border areas. Participating forces will practice detecting, intercepting and detaining people who cross borders illegally, as well as transferring detainees to the relevant side. The ministry said this is the second exercise in the series. It is intended to strengthen strategic trust and practical cooperation among the three countries while supporting security and stability in their border regions.
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Kazakhstan Requires Cash Declarations From USD 10,000
Published: 2026-09-03
Travelers entering or leaving Kazakhstan must file a customs declaration when the combined value of cash and travelers checks they carry is USD 10,000 or more at that day’s exchange rate. The rule covers a single import or export of funds through the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Kazakhstan is a member. Failure to comply can lead to administrative or criminal liability under Kazakhstan’s laws. The Consular Department of Mongolia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised travelers to check the amount of cash they plan to carry before travel and to complete declarations accurately. The notice applies both to arrivals in Kazakhstan and departures from the country under the requirement.
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Infrastructure
Maintenance Outages Scheduled Across Ulaanbaatar and Tuv Province
Published: 2026-09-03
Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network has announced planned electricity restrictions from September 3 through September 10 to allow maintenance of power lines and equipment. On September 3, outages were scheduled in Songinokhairkhan and Nalaikh districts of Ulaanbaatar and in Zuunmod soum, Tuv Province. In Tuv Province, restrictions in Bayantsagaan soum are scheduled to begin on September 4 and continue through September 6. Additional restrictions are planned in Bayanjargalan soum and in some areas of Bayantsagaan soum from September 4 through September 10. The notice does not provide the duration of each outage or a detailed list of affected neighborhoods. Customers in the listed areas should follow the utility’s published schedule for maintenance-related service interruptions.
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Thermal Power Plant No. 5 Construction Reaches 16 Percent
Published: 2026-09-03
Construction of Thermal Power Plant No. 5 in Ulaanbaatar’s Bayangol District has reached 16 percent completion after work accelerated over the past three months. The 300-megawatt plant is being built on the 26.4-hectare ash-storage site of Thermal Power Plant No. 2, with foundations under way for two boilers, turbines, a chimney and a bag filter. More than 300 engineers and specialists are working at the site. Contractors have removed 300,000 cubic meters of an estimated 1 million cubic meters of ash accumulated over 65 years. Equipment is scheduled to arrive by December, with installation planned from spring 2027. The USD 658.5 million public-private project is scheduled to enter service in the third quarter of 2028.
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Electric-Vehicle Expansion Raises Grid and Charging Infrastructure Demands
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia has set a target of 30,000 electric vehicles by 2030, but expanding their use will require stronger electricity supply and charging infrastructure. The country spends an average of USD 2.4 billion annually on gasoline and diesel imports. Registered electric vehicles have increased from about 100 in 2020 to 2,850, with roughly 87% located in Ulaanbaatar; more than 2,000 are fully electric and about 520 are hybrids. The capital has 27 charging sites, largely built by private operators, while a Green Station capable of charging 10 vehicles at once has opened under COP17. The report notes that cold weather can reduce battery capacity and range by 40-50%, and that winter peak demand and reliance on imported electricity constrain large-scale charging expansion.
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Society
Education and Health Workers Demand Government Honor Pay Agreements
Published: 2026-09-03
The Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions has called on the government to fully fund agreements covering pay, working conditions, and financing for education and health workers in the 2026 budget amendment. At a press conference held the day before the September 3 report, union president E. Tamir said agreements with the then-sector ministers provided for a cumulative 76 percent increase in education-sector base pay, including 50 percent from January 1 and 26 percent from November 1. Health-sector pay was to rise 30 percent from January 1, followed by monthly 9 percent increases from August through year-end. The proposed amendment allocates MNT 674.5 billion for unmet education payroll costs and MNT 90 billion for health-sector payroll costs. The union said workers could strike again if the agreements are not fully implemented.
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Water-Accident Calls Rise 28 Percent This Year
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia recorded 118 calls and reports involving water accidents by September 2, a 28.3 percent increase from the same point last year. The accidents have caused 82 deaths, including 25 children, according to emergency authorities. Of those who died, 14.6 percent had entered rivers after consuming alcohol. Authorities urged people to follow warning signs, avoid deep and hazardous water, keep young children under supervision near rivers and riverbanks, and avoid entering water after drinking alcohol. Boat patrols will operate along the Tuul, Terelj, Kherlen and Selbe rivers until September 15, the Ulaanbaatar Emergency Management Agency said.
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Chief Prosecutor Reviews Closure of Alleged Child Rape Case
Published: 2026-09-03
The Khan-Uul District Prosecutor’s Office chief prosecutor is reviewing a decision to close an investigation described on social media as an alleged child rape case. The Prosecutor’s Office issued the clarification after online posts alleged that prosecutors had violated the law by closing the case. A supervising prosecutor at the Khan-Uul District Prosecutor’s Office made the initial closure decision. Under Mongolian law, however, a higher-ranking prosecutor must review such a decision. Authorities said the closure has therefore not been finally confirmed and the senior-level review remains under way. The statement does not identify the parties to the case or say when the review will be completed.
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Online System Opens for Reporting Hazards to Children
Published: 2026-09-03
A government ministry has begun receiving public reports of environmental risks that could threaten children’s rights, safety, health or lives through a unified online system. The Risk and Safe Environment Monitoring and Assessment platform at heatmap.longbinarycity.com is intended to collect reports, create a national database of hazardous locations and track their removal. Authorities identified 1,407 potentially dangerous sites nationwide during the third annual “Let’s Check and Protect Together” campaign, documenting them with photographs and video. The system is intended to show the response to each reported hazard through before-and-after records that include dates and photographs. The ministry also invited residents to share images and videos of families spending productive time together as part of the “Let’s Make It a Must” campaign.
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Environment
Firefighters Respond to Forest Fire Near Baga Tenger Valley
Published: 2026-09-03
More than 30 firefighters and rescue personnel were deployed on September 3 to extinguish a forest fire southwest of Baga Tenger Valley on Bogd-Uul. The National Emergency Management Agency received the report at 11:49 a.m. from Khoroo 11 in Khan-Uul District, Ulaanbaatar. When crews arrived, the fire had affected an area measuring about 20 by 30 meters, according to the agency. Fire and rescue units from across the capital were conducting suppression operations at the time of the reports. The sources did not state the fire’s cause, whether it had been contained, or whether any injuries or property damage had been reported. The reported location was southwest of Baga Tenger Valley on Bogd-Uul in Khoroo 11 of Khan-Uul District.
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Company Investigated After Repeated Discharges Into Yeroo River
Published: 2026-09-03
Police and environmental officers in Selenge Province identified a company carrying out land-rehabilitation work that repeatedly discharged water from an on-site pond into the Yeroo River. The violation was found during a joint inspection on August 31 in Bugant settlement, the third bagh of Yeroo soum. Officers from the provincial police department, the Yeroo soum police unit and environmental authorities inspected the Khavchirgan area, where the company is working. Authorities said they stopped the violation and took measures under the law. The reports did not identify the company or specify the nature or volume of pollutants in the discharged water.
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Favorable Summer Pasture Conditions Cover More Than Half the Country
Published: 2026-09-03
Summer pasture conditions were good across more than half of the country as of August 31, according to the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment. Conditions were assessed as average in more than 30% of the territory and poor in about 10%. Poor conditions were reported in parts of some soums in Sukhbaatar and Dundgovi provinces, a few parts of Umnugovi province, and isolated areas of Khovd, Govi-Altai and Khentii provinces. Conditions were good throughout Arkhangai, Orkhon, Selenge, Darkhan-Uul, Govisumber and Dornod provinces, and across most of Uvs, Govi-Altai, Khuvsgul, Bulgan, Uvurkhangai and Tuv provinces. Compared with the preceding 10-day report, conditions deteriorated slightly in isolated soums of Zavkhan and Bayankhongor.
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Innovation
Second Round of Ulaanbaatar Kindergarten Registration Opens
Published: 2026-09-03
The second round of online registration for Ulaanbaatar kindergartens opened through the E-Mongolia platform at 9 a.m. on September 3 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on September 11. It is available to children with temporary residential addresses and to those who missed the first registration round. Families seeking information can contact the Ulaanbaatar Education Department, district education offices or the E-Mongolia call center at 11-11. For the 2026-2027 academic year, 1,407 kindergartens are operating nationwide and 242,742 children aged two to five have registered. About 119,000 children have registered for kindergarten places in the capital.
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Unfinished School Projects Disrupt Start of Academic Year
Published: 2026-09-03
Three days into the new academic year, unfinished repair, expansion and reconstruction projects are disrupting classes at several schools and kindergartens. School No. 6 in Sukhbaatar District, which has about 2,000 students, remains under renovation and expansion despite an earlier plan for handover by September 1, 2026; the Asian Development Bank financed the MNT 4.3 billion project. Laboratory School No. 1 will alternate in-person and online classes for two weeks because its strengthening and expansion work is incomplete. Kindergarten No. 16 in Sukhbaatar District says its new building is 98 percent complete and is scheduled to receive children in January 2027. In Kherlen soum, Khentii Province, Kindergarten No. 10 will operate from rented premises while its defective building is demolished and rebuilt.
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Parents Raise Safety Concerns at Temporary Primary School
Published: 2026-09-03
Parents and teachers at a temporary primary school affiliated with Ulaanbaatar School No. 14 have raised concerns about overcrowding, ventilation and nearby construction work. The facility, housed in a building marked as a kindergarten, is one of 21 neighborhood primary schools created in the capital to expand access, providing places for more than 9,000 children. Construction beside the school is producing dust around pupils and families, according to the report. Teacher N. Batdolgor said one class has 40 children despite initially having only 36 desks and chairs, leaving insufficient room to move between desks. She also reported that the classroom has one window, poor air circulation and excessive heat. Lunches are currently transported from School No. 14 because the temporary site cannot yet prepare them.
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Education Ministry Approves Plan for Specialized High Schools
Published: 2026-09-03
The Ministry of Education has approved and distributed a curriculum plan and guidance for specialized high schools as Mongolia prepares to establish 15 to 20 such schools in the 2026-2027 academic year. The policy also envisages converting 38 general-education schools with more than 3,000 students to this model to reduce overcrowding. The ministry has instructed university presidents and directors to coordinate advanced programs with the upper-secondary curriculum and relevant institutions. Required study areas cover Mongolian language and literature, traditional script, English, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, history and social studies. Annual minimum instruction is set at 102 hours for English and mathematics, 34 hours for history, and up to 68 hours for most science and social-science subjects. Elective study will range from 340 to 850 hours annually.
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Health
Free Seasonal Flu Vaccinations Begin for Priority Groups
Published: 2026-09-03
Mongolia has begun its 2026-2027 seasonal influenza vaccination campaign ahead of the usual October start of flu circulation, which typically peaks in January and February. The government has procured 500,000 doses of a World Health Organization-recommended, South Korean-made quadrivalent vaccine through UNICEF, up from 300,000 doses last year. Vaccination is free for children aged six months to six years, pregnant women, people aged 65 and older, and people with chronic illnesses. More than 1,300 doctors and health workers will provide the vaccines through more than 600 health facilities nationwide from September 4. The Health Ministry said 99 percent of last year’s target group was vaccinated. A 2024-2025 season study found that vaccination reduced the risk of flu-related medical care among children aged one to five by 75.2 percent.
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Government Moves to Overhaul Addiction Treatment System
Published: 2026-09-03
Justice and Home Affairs Minister S. Amarsaikhan directed agencies to reform treatment, prevention and reintegration arrangements for alcohol and drug dependence after visiting the compulsory treatment center in Bayan soum, Tuv Province. The center currently has 58 people receiving compulsory treatment for alcohol dependence and three for drug dependence, and receives about 400 to 500 people annually. Over the past decade, 5,197 people received inpatient treatment, and the center reported bringing 3,805 people out of alcohol dependence. Measures include updating standards, studying separate treatment for alcohol and drug dependence, improving medicine supply and professional capacity, clarifying agency responsibilities, and supporting employment and reintegration after treatment. Amarsaikhan also called for examination of financing compulsory treatment through the Alcohol Harm Prevention and Control Support Fund. He cited World Health Organization research estimating more than 140,000 people in Mongolia have alcohol dependence.
“A comprehensive system based on coordination and joint participation by relevant state agencies is required.” - S. Amarsaikhan (gogo.mn)
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Youth E-Cigarette Use Reaches One in Four Students
Published: 2026-09-03
Tobacco use remains a major health and economic concern, with electronic-cigarette use particularly high among adolescents. A 2023 survey found that 24.8% of students aged 13 to 17 had used e-cigarettes in the previous month, while one in 10 had smoked conventional cigarettes. R. Oyungerel, a specialist at the National Center for Public Health, said 24.2% of Mongolians aged 15 to 69 smoke: 43.7% of men and 5% of women. Tobacco use was linked to about 4,300 deaths annually, 72% among people younger than 70, the report said. Health-care spending for tobacco-related disease reached MNT 80 billion in 2023. The source puts cigarette excise tax at MNT 836 for a MNT 3,400 pack and says this is below the World Health Organization’s recommended 70% level.
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