Politics
Published: 2026-08-17
Former President Tsakhia Elbegdorj appeared at the Independent Authority Against Corruption on August 17 after receiving a request to give a statement. Afterward, he said officials explained that a previously dismissed case connected to his role in establishing the American School in 2000-2003 had been reopened because a higher-level prosecutor found a procedural error in the earlier dismissal. Elbegdorj said this was not a newly opened investigation. He also said investigations spanning his final two years as president and five years afterward had previously found no legal violation, and that a court had lifted a travel ban. He said he returned to Mongolia on July 5 after working at Stanford University and with international organizations.
“I came to answer their questions.” - Tsakhia Elbegdorj (eagle.mn)
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Published: 2026-08-17
Prosecutors have filed an indictment against former Transport Ministry State Secretary B. Nasantogtokh and sent the case to the District Criminal and Civil Cases Simplified Proceedings Court. The allegations stem from his earlier role as director of the Energy Ministry’s Energy Policy Implementation Coordination Department. Prosecutors allege that he approved power-supply technical conditions for a mining processing plant despite unmet requirements, then enabled NRG Development LLC, wholly owned by his wife Ch. Ariuntungalag, to sign a MNT 5.5 billion contract with MCS International on June 20, 2024 to supply lightning conductors and transmission wire. The indictment also cites alleged bribery, unjustified enrichment and money laundering involving MNT 2.8 billion in assets and income. The case covers five people.
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Published: 2026-08-17
The Independent Authority Against Corruption has completed its investigation into E. Gankhuu, former executive director of Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC, and transferred the case to prosecutors with a recommendation to bring it to court. Gankhuu had been called as a witness to a parliamentary oversight hearing on the Oyu Tolgoi group deposit, where investigators detained him for 48 hours under urgent procedures. The investigation concerns suspected abuse of office in connection with an office-building purchase by Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi. The company signed a MNT 8.247 billion building-purchase agreement with BMCM LLC on August 15, 2024. An amendment dated September 25, 2024, provided for a 70 percent advance payment; the source separately reports that MNT 5.772009 billion was transferred to the contractor. The source reports that the building was not accepted.
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Researcher Warns Online-Account Crackdown Could Restrict Public Criticism
Published: 2026-08-17
Media researcher and NTV Media Development Director J. Unumunkh has warned that a government task force targeting 400,000 allegedly fake accounts and harmful information needs clear definitions, powers and oversight to avoid restricting expression. The task force was established by Justice and Home Affairs Minister S. Amarsaikhan. Unumunkh said anonymous accounts should not automatically be treated as fake, since people may use them for personal safety or to express views on political and social issues. He also questioned whether media, human-rights and technology specialists are represented on the task force. The discussion follows renewed government attention to online regulation, including proposals concerning harmful information and children’s social-media use.
“The state must not use cleaning up the online space as a pretext to clean up citizens’ opinions.” - J. Unumunkh (urug.mn)
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MP P. Sainzorig Faces Scrutiny Over Parliamentary Record and Criminal Case
Published: 2026-08-17
Unuudur profiled MP P. Sainzorig, a Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) representative elected from Songinokhairkhan District in the 126-member parliament. The report traces his government career through the environment and justice ministries, his role as Ulaanbaatar’s first deputy governor for economic and infrastructure affairs, and his participation in drafting or introducing about 30 laws and amendments. It also says he submitted an October 2025 proposal seeking the dismissal of the Zandanshatar government and has given testimony in an investigation connected to the resulting parliamentary vote. The newspaper further reports that Sainzorig and Kh. Taivan were charged after a February altercation in Sukhbaatar District; the case is expected to be sent to court.
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Deputy Prime Minister Orders Review of Legal Options for Local Projects
Published: 2026-08-17
Deputy Prime Minister and National Emergency Commission chair N. Nomtoibayar has directed ministry state secretaries to examine legal reforms and other options for resolving long-standing problems raised during visits to provinces and soums. He also asked them to propose projects for inclusion in next year’s budget and identify investments that could be delivered through public-private partnerships. Residents and local leaders raised concerns about energy and heating infrastructure, vehicles for soums, and delayed financing for schools, kindergartens, swimming pools and cultural centers. Nomtoibayar said local governments should reduce expectations that the state budget will finance every need and make greater use of their own resources. He highlighted slow procurement as a recurring obstacle, particularly because Mongolia’s construction season is short, and called for measures that would help implement government decisions locally.
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New Family Court Law Guarantees Education for Juvenile Detainees
Published: 2026-08-17
A new Family Court Procedure Law, due to take effect on November 1, will allow juvenile detainees to begin general and vocational education from their first day in custody, removing the previous requirement to serve at least 50 percent of a sentence before enrolling. The accompanying amendments require the education and justice ministries to provide schools and vocational training centers at juvenile correctional facilities. The law also introduces specialized family and child courts, with dedicated judges, specialists and psychologists to handle family disputes and cases involving minors. It requires child-support payments to be set at no less than the regional subsistence minimum and allows courts to order supervised contact between children and separated parents where necessary.
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Report Questions Court Finding in Erdenet-Achit Ikht Contract Case
Published: 2026-08-17
An isee.mn report disputes a first-instance court finding against former Erdenet Mining Corporation CEO Ts. Davaatsuren over a June 26, 2015 cooperation contract with Achit Ikht. The report says a working group led by Erdenet’s then Russian first deputy CEO, I. V. Roy, concluded in October 2014 that Council approval was unnecessary because Erdenet would neither invest in nor hold a stake in Achit Ikht. The court nevertheless found that Davaatsuren signed without Council approval and without obtaining the working group’s opinion, according to the report. The dispute followed earlier attempts for Erdenet to acquire 34 percent of Achit Ikht, which the Russian side reportedly opposed. The report also says the joint Council did not meet from December 2013 until late 2015 while the Russian shareholder’s status was being formalized.
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Economy
Fuel Deliveries Increase as Government Works to Restore Supply
Published: 2026-08-17
Mongolia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said fuel deliveries are increasing after recent shortages caused long queues at filling stations. From August 1 to 17, 28,869 tonnes of AI-92 gasoline entered through the Sukhbaatar border crossing. On August 16, 3,120 tonnes were dispatched to Tolgoit, Arshaan, Darkhan, Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar, while a further 1,560 tonnes were travelling to Tolgoit and Darkhan on August 17. State Secretary B. Dashpurev said about 90 percent of Ulaanbaatar filling stations had resumed normal operations, with 2,880 tonnes being prepared for unloading. The ministry has arranged an additional 25,000 tonnes of gasoline from Russia and said 20 rail tank cars of gasoline from China were approaching Erlian.
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Minimum Wage Set to Rise to MNT 1 Million From January 2027
Published: 2026-08-17
The National Tripartite Committee on Labor and Social Partnership decided on August 17 to raise the monthly minimum wage from MNT 792,000 to MNT 1 million, a MNT 208,000 or 26.3 percent increase. The new rate, equivalent to MNT 5,952.3 per hour, takes effect on January 1, 2027. The committee includes government, employers and worker representatives, and considers living costs, inflation, productivity, average wages, economic growth, employment and minimum pensions. The decision also changes personal income-tax relief from 2027: employees will receive relief of up to MNT 100,000 per month on income equivalent to the new minimum wage, or up to MNT 1.2 million annually. Employers may not set basic pay below the legal minimum, while jobs requiring qualifications or specialized skills must pay more.
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Central Bank Raises Policy Rate to 12.5% to Address Inflation
Published: 2026-08-17
Bank of Mongolia raised its policy rate by 0.5 percentage points to 12.5% at an extraordinary Monetary Policy Committee meeting on August 12 and lifted banks’ tugrik reserve requirement by 0.5 points to 14.5%. The central bank said the measures were intended to anchor inflation expectations, limit second-round effects from supply-driven price increases and align tugrik returns with policy goals. July annual inflation stood at 13%, according to the reports. Commentary from economists said food, fuel, transport and imported goods are major drivers, while fiscal spending also affects price pressures. They expect higher borrowing costs to curb household lending, large purchases, business investment and hiring, with effects emerging over time. They also called for tighter budget spending and improvements in fuel, food and logistics supply.
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Excise-Tax Revenue Falls as Budget Income Rises in First Seven Months
Published: 2026-08-17
Mongolia’s consolidated budget collected MNT 19.8 trillion in total revenue and grants in the first seven months of 2026, up MNT 3.3 trillion from a year earlier, according to preliminary National Statistics Office data. Balanced revenue and grants reached MNT 17.3 trillion, an annual increase of MNT 1.7 trillion. Total tax revenue rose MNT 1.5 trillion to MNT 16 trillion, supported by higher social-insurance contributions, value-added tax and income-tax receipts. Excise-tax revenue, however, declined by MNT 102.8 billion. Expenditure and net lending totalled MNT 19.5 trillion, up MNT 2.6 trillion year on year, while the balanced budget recorded a MNT 2.2 trillion deficit. Higher spending on goods and services, capital projects and current transfers drove the increase.
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State-Owned Companies Cut 260 Posts and Report MNT 67.3 Billion in Savings
Published: 2026-08-17
Fourteen companies in the Chinggis Khaan Wealth Fund group have eliminated 260 positions and saved MNT 67.3 billion in administrative and rental costs under the government’s Chuluulye policy, according to Cabinet Secretariat head B. Enkhbayar. He presented the figures at a report meeting on state-owned enterprise reform and winter preparedness held last Friday. Enkhbayar said the policy’s central focus is reforming state-owned companies. He cited the State and Local Government-Owned Enterprise Governance Law, passed last spring, as a basis for stronger transparency, oversight and accountability. The law allows company performance reports to be considered by parliament and disclosed publicly rather than reviewed only by executives. Further priorities include resolving financial irregularities, tightening discipline, banning new office purchases, cutting avoidable recurring costs and attracting investment.
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VAT Lottery Draw Set for August 19
Published: 2026-08-17
Mongolia’s VAT incentive lottery draw will be broadcast live nationwide at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, through the eBarimt application and the Education TV channel. The draw covers receipts for purchases made between July 1 and July 31, 2026. Winners receive incentives linked to eligible receipts, with the payment increased according to the growth rate in receipt issuance in the aimag or district where the purchase was made. Consumers can find further details in the lottery section of the eBarimt website. The notice states that the increased incentive is based on the rate of growth in receipt issuance in the relevant aimag or district, rather than setting out a fixed payment amount for winners.
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Infrastructure
COP17 Brings Parking Closures and Road Restrictions Near Major Markets
Published: 2026-08-17
Temporary traffic measures linked to UNCCD COP17 will close the parking lots at Narantuul International Trade Center, Dunjingarav Shopping Center and the New 100 Ail trade center. Authorities advised visitors to avoid driving to these sites and use public transport or plan alternative travel. Private vehicles will also face restrictions on three nearby road sections: from the southwest Narantuul intersection to the southeast Uguumur Market intersection; from the same Narantuul intersection to the southwest Dunjingarav Market intersection; and from the southwest Dunjingarav Market intersection to the junction linking Dunjingarav Street and East General’s First Street. Only public transport and emergency vehicles may use those sections. Additional short-loop bus services, BE:9 and BE:8, will connect the affected markets with areas including Officers’ Palace, 120 Myangat, the National Park and Central Stadium.
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MP M. Enkhtsetseg Questions MNT 790 Million Tender for Electricity Export Strategy
Published: 2026-08-17
MP M. Enkhtsetseg criticized a MNT 790 million tender to develop an electricity-export strategy, saying the Energy Ministry had already prepared and approved a broader strategic plan. She said the funding would come from Deputy Prime Minister T. Dorjkhand’s operating budget and argued that ministry specialists should do the work instead. Enkhtsetseg said electricity consumption grows by an average of 150–200 MW a year, while supply has not kept pace. She cited an estimate of a 200 MW shortfall during next winter’s peak hours, dependent in part on economic activity, and called for dedicated balancing resources such as hydropower and large battery-storage stations. She also said a competitive selection for large solar plants in five provinces resulted in a tariff of 4.85 US cents per kWh.
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Ulaanbaatar Approves 500 Fuel Sales Points for Heating Season
Published: 2026-08-17
Ulaanbaatar has approved 500 contracted sales points across seven districts for the 2026-2027 heating season under the governor’s August 7 Order A/1116. The network will sell semi-coke and briquetted fuel, with 54 of the 500 sites held in reserve for additional allocation if required. Songinokhairkhan will have 165 points, Bayanzurkh 110, Chingeltei 58, Khan-Uul 42, Sukhbaatar 32, Nalaikh 22 and Bayangol 17. The city will sign cooperation agreements with operators by September 1, considering applications, the locations of reliable operators from the previous heating season and local population density. The 2026-2027 heating season officially begins on September 15, when fuel sales are scheduled to start.
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Odd-Numbered License Plates Allowed on Ulaanbaatar Roads Today
Published: 2026-08-17
Vehicles with license plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 may travel in Ulaanbaatar on August 17 under the city’s alternating odd-even traffic restriction. Vehicles with plates ending in an even number may travel on August 18. The measure operates from 07:00 to 21:00 throughout the capital’s six central districts, regardless of zone, and is intended to reduce road congestion. The published schedule assigns odd-numbered plates to August 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31, then September 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Even-numbered plates are assigned to August 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30, then September 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12.
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Ulaanbaatar Orders Safety Checks Around Schools and Kindergartens
Published: 2026-08-17
Ulaanbaatar Governor B. Purevdagva ordered agencies to inspect and quickly repair routes around schools and kindergartens before the new academic year. The instructions cover pedestrian crossings, signs, visibility, lighting and road conditions, as well as oversight of school and kindergarten renovation work to reduce traffic-accident risks. At the city leadership meeting, officials said 34 previous assignments were 81.5% complete. The city also reported that Tavan Tolgoi Fuel LLC entered preparation mode on August 15 to produce 120,000 tonnes of briquettes, while contracts have been signed to buy 280,000 tonnes of semi-coke fuel for the 2026-27 heating season. Separately, a 4.8-kilometer water pipeline replacement in Yarmag has entered normal operation.
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Apartment Buyers May Be Unable to Obtain Occupancy Certificates in Erdenet Land Dispute
Published: 2026-08-17
Eighty-two households that bought apartments in the Buddha Villa development in Erdenet may be unable to obtain occupancy certificates because the two buildings could not be accepted by the state commission, Unuudur reported. The project, developed by Diesel Progress LLC on 1,700 square meters in Zest bagh, Bayan-Öndör soum, Orkhon province, is the subject of a land dispute with ITGM LLC, developer of the adjacent Park View complex. The report says Diesel Progress began construction in 2024 before receiving approved designs and construction permits in 2025. It alleges that equipment placement, access, parking and landscaping used or were planned on ITGM’s land, and that local officials did not adequately address the dispute. The claims and project approvals require determination by the relevant authorities.
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Society
Police Detain Suspects After Petroleum Workers’ Camp Incursion
Published: 2026-08-17
Police in Sukhbaatar Province are investigating named individuals who allegedly entered a temporary workers’ camp without authorization, interfered with residents’ freedom and property, and livestreamed the incident online. The camp, located in the fifth bagh of Sukhbaatar soum, housed workers of Mongolia Faison Energy, a company conducting petroleum exploration in Matad soum, Dornod Province under a government decision. Video circulating on social media showed people entering accommodation used by Chinese residents and rummaging through and damaging belongings, according to one report. Police said the people suspected of entering the camp had been temporarily detained since August 16. The provincial police department has registered the case and is continuing its investigation, while national police urged the public to observe the law and not incite criminal or harmful acts online.
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Emergency Services Save 21 People After 59 Incidents Nationwide
Published: 2026-08-17
Emergency services responded to 59 hazardous-event and accident calls across eight districts of Ulaanbaatar and 29 soums in 15 provinces during August 10-16, saving 21 people, the report said. The incidents included 31 structure fires, three forest and steppe fires, one flood, two biological hazards, and 22 accidents linked to human activity. Central and local emergency personnel carried out the response operations. The weekly figures cover calls recorded nationwide rather than a single major emergency. Fire-related incidents accounted for more than half of the reported cases: the 31 structure fires and three forest and steppe fires totaled 34 of the 59 calls. The remaining reports included one flood, two biological hazards, and accidents associated with human activity in both the capital and provincial areas.
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Police Return 13 Fugitives From Five Countries for Ongoing Investigations
Published: 2026-08-17
Mongolian police have returned or forcibly repatriated 13 suspects who fled abroad after allegedly committing crimes in Mongolia, with operations involving South Korea, China, Turkey, Japan and Belarus. Police said the suspects are under investigation in cases including homicide, rape, fraud, child sexual exploitation, online gambling and organizing gambling. One suspect, identified only as S, was transferred from Belarus to Mongolia on August 13 after being wanted internationally in connection with an alleged online-gambling operation dating from 2022. Interpol located and arrested S in Belarus on March 17. Mongolia’s Interpol National Central Bureau, Criminal Police Department, prosecutor’s office, justice ministry and foreign ministry coordinated the transfer with authorities in Belarus and Kazakhstan. Investigations remain ongoing.
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Published: 2026-08-17
Police recorded 4,408 crimes committed under the influence of alcohol in the first seven months of 2026, up 504 cases, or 12.9%, from the same period last year, police captain B. Urantsatsral told Unuudur. Domestic settings accounted for 81% of alcohol-related crimes, while people aged 18 to 44 made up 42.6% of those involved over the past five years. Nearly half, 49.7%, occurred between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Police registered 919 domestic-violence crimes through July, down 3.4% year on year; women were 86.7% of victims and children 9.2%. Urantsatsral said officers assess risk at each domestic-violence call, record perpetrators in the ECS system and can place victims in temporary shelters or one-stop service centers.
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Three Die After Car Is Swept Into Floodwaters in Bayankhongor
Published: 2026-08-17
A report said three people, including a six-year-old boy, died after a car travelling from Ulaanbaatar to Bayankhongor entered swirling floodwaters near Erdenekhondii in Ulziit soum at about 5 a.m. on August 10. The Prius had six occupants: the driver, three personnel from Armed Forces Unit 339, a pregnant woman and her son. The vehicle’s owner had bought it in Ulaanbaatar and was carrying passengers to Bayankhongor, about 600 km away. After driving more than half the route, he reportedly handed the wheel to a 35-year-old male passenger after saying he was sleepy. Police said the driver, the pregnant woman and her child died, the victims had been buried, and autopsy results were pending.
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Environment
UN Desertification Conference Opens in Ulaanbaatar With 12,000 Delegates
Published: 2026-08-17
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD COP17, opened in Ulaanbaatar on August 17 and will run through August 28. More than 12,000 delegates from 197 parties, including governments, researchers, businesses, civil society, herders and youth representatives, are expected to discuss desertification, land degradation, drought, land restoration, water, rangelands and food systems. Mongolia assumed the conference presidency from COP16. High-level ministerial meetings are scheduled for August 24-26, focusing on restoration, drought resilience and financing, while a Mayors Forum is planned for August 20-22. The opening also welcomed a Silk Road camel caravan that travelled about 6,000 kilometers across nine countries to share experience on rangeland management and drought resilience.
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Ministry Orders Inspections of Suspected Illegal Mining Sites in Selenge
Published: 2026-08-17
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources will inspect sites in Selenge Province where illegal mineral extraction and environmental damage may have occurred. At its August 17 operational meeting, chaired by State Secretary B. Dashpurev, the ministry ordered the formation of a joint working group with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to monitor compliance with relevant laws. Officials also discussed increasing fuel distribution and procurement, expanding petroleum exploration and extraction, and improving public communication about the mining and petroleum sectors. The ministry assigned follow-up work on preparations for COP17, matters involving Badrakh Energy, the Mining Week event, and sectoral bills expected to be considered during the autumn parliamentary session.
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Grassland Fire Burns About 90 Hectares in Sukhbaatar Province
Published: 2026-08-17
A grassland fire burned about 90 hectares at Ulziit in the Lkhumbe bagh of Tumentsogt soum, Sukhbaatar province, on August 16. Emergency services received the report at 2:42 p.m. The site is 120 kilometers northwest of the provincial center and 22 kilometers southeast of the soum center. A 24-person response involving the Tumentsogt search-and-rescue unit of the Sukhbaatar Emergency Management Department, employees of Kherlen-Altai LLC and local residents deployed 10 vehicles. Responders contained the fire at 4:10 p.m. and fully extinguished it at 4:45 p.m. Authorities are investigating the cause and circumstances of the blaze. No casualties, property losses or cause were reported in the initial information.
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Innovation
Published: 2026-08-17
General education schools will be restricted from using social media, including Facebook, and online group chats for educational activities from September 1 under a joint order by the ministers of Justice and Home Affairs and Education. The rules bar teachers and administrators from using those channels to exchange school information, assign or receive homework, or make notifications. Schools must instead use their institutional systems, learning-management systems or official digital platforms. The measure is intended to help prevent peer bullying, offences and other violations, improve child safety, and protect students’ personal information. It also prohibits public posting of grades, assessments and other personal data on social media or in paper form. Communication among teachers, students and parents on lessons, assignments and assessment will move to official, secure platforms.
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Online Registration Opens for First Grade at State Schools
Published: 2026-08-17
Online registration for first grade at state general-education schools for the 2026-2027 academic year opened on August 17 through the E-Mongolia platform and closes at 23:59 on August 28. Children born from January 1 through December 31, 2020, who will be six years old are eligible. Authorities expect 75,838 first graders nationwide: 37,926 in Ulaanbaatar and 37,912 in other areas. Parents or guardians should confirm both their own and the child’s registered address. Families with a temporary address must register in their current district and khoroo, then contact the admissions committee for their assigned state school. Information is also available through parent.edu.mn, the 11-11 public-service line, and the General Education Agency.
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Conflicting School Plans Leave September Opening Unclear
Published: 2026-08-17
Uncertainty remains over how schools and kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar will begin the academic year on September 1 during preparations for the COP17 conference. Education Minister L. Enkh-Amgalan said all schools and kindergartens would begin operations on that date. However, Education Ministry State Secretary T. Nyam-Ochir said 73 kindergartens and 60 schools located in the conference zone would need at least 14 days to prepare even if they started in-person instruction on September 1. Universities are expected to begin in-person teaching on September 15, according to the report. The report also says citizens’ travel rights were restricted through September 12. The differing statements left the final operating arrangement for affected schools unclear.
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Health
Intermed Hospital Evacuates Most Patients During Bomb-Threat Investigation
Published: 2026-08-17
Police, intelligence, emergency and explosive-ordnance specialists inspected Intermed Hospital in Khan-Uul District on August 17 after a bomb threat was submitted through the hospital’s QR feedback system. Reports said the message was attributed to a Russian citizen, though authorities had not confirmed that detail. About 600 staff members and 80-90 percent of 30 inpatients were evacuated, while surgery patients and a small number of seriously ill patients remained inside under continued care. Officials said no explosives or suspicious objects had been found during the initial search, which continued across the hospital compound. Intermed postponed appointments and examinations scheduled for the day and said normal operations would resume after the inspection concludes.
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Published: 2026-08-17
Hand, foot and mouth disease accounted for 2,067, or 38%, of Mongolia’s 5,322 recorded infectious-disease cases in June 2026, according to the National Statistics Office. The total was 9.75 times the 212 cases reported in the same month last year. The enterovirus illness can spread quickly in kindergartens and schools through saliva, nasal discharge, sputum, feces, close contact and contaminated shared surfaces such as toys, door handles and desks. Early symptoms include fever, sore throat, fatigue and reduced appetite. Prevention advice includes regular handwashing with soap, cleaning and disinfecting shared items, avoiding shared personal items, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and keeping sick children out of school or kindergarten.
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Health Authorities Warn of Marmot Plague Peak Season
Published: 2026-08-17
Health authorities have warned that Mongolia is entering the seasonal peak for marmot plague, an infectious disease that becomes active from April, peaks in August and September, and usually declines after mid-October. Risk areas cover 137 soums in 17 provinces. People living in these areas, hunters, people who illegally trade marmots or marmot products, and people who directly handle marmots are among the groups at risk. Infection can follow hunting, skinning or butchering sick animals; contact with contaminated materials; bites from infected fleas or ticks; eating raw or undercooked meat; and, in pneumonic cases, respiratory transmission between people. Authorities advise avoiding risky contact with marmots during the holiday period, following local alerts, getting vaccinated for people living or working in risk areas, and notifying health authorities if severe symptoms appear.
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