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Mongolia Daily: Fuel orders confirmed, Oyu Tolgoi payout directed, and loan relief set

MongoliaDaily

Politics

President Directs Government to Pay Oyu Tolgoi Dividends Directly to Citizens

Published: 2026-11-03

President U. Khurelsukh met Prime Minister N. Uchral and Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan on November 3, per most reports, and directed the government to transfer Oyu Tolgoi dividends to citizens’ accounts as they arrive. The government expects about 3 trillion tugrik in 2027; current law sends the money to the Accumulation Fund. A petition seeking about 857,000 tugrik per person passed 100,000 signatures, qualifying for parliamentary review. The government withdrew a bill splitting the sum between the fund and energy and education projects. Mendsaikhan, who dated the directive to the previous day, said the law will be amended and inflation would rise; committee chair B. Zayabal said the law must change and economic and market effects, including inflation, be studied and calculated before a decision.

“Distributing the benefits of wealth to every citizen would be a decision that fits the needs of the time.” - U. Khurelsukh (ikon.mn)

Coverage:

Ulaanbaatar Council to Weigh Road Fee Discount for Plate-Restriction Days and Halved Service Tax

Published: 2026-11-03

Ulaanbaatar’s Citizens’ Representatives Khural Council has scheduled its regular session for November 9 at 10:00, with 19 agenda items. One proposal amends the 2024 Resolution 24/29 to discount next year’s road usage fee in proportion to days vehicles were barred by official decision, excluding the standing weekly odd-even plate rule. It would deduct 14 days for the temporary odd-even restriction tied to COP17 and school-year preparations, part of 28 restricted days in August and September. Fees currently run 150,000–500,000 tugrik a year, by vehicle class and load capacity. A separate draft would cut the city tax on hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, car washes and auto services from 2% to 1% starting January 1, 2027.

“Counting the days a car could not be driven under the plate restriction and discounting the fee is right.” - S. Tuyaa (news.mn)

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Prime Minister Orders Bill Exempting One Heated Household Garage From Tax

Published: 2026-11-03

Prime Minister N. Uchral ordered Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan to draft a bill exempting one heated household garage from tax and present it to a cabinet meeting. Ulaanbaatar residents began paying the garage and heated-parking tax in June, at 0.6–2% of assessed property value depending on location. A petition on E-Zasag.mn launched October 6 by PM adviser O. Batkhuu gathered 101,097 signatures in 20 days, the platform’s first to reach 100,000, and was handed to Uchral on November 3. Uchral backed the proposal:

“Especially in a country like ours with cold winters, keeping a car warm is essential to take children to school and kindergarten. So I believe one heated household garage should be exempt from tax.” - N. Uchral (isee.mn)

Coverage:

Draft Resolution Proposes Annual Daylight Saving Time From 2027

Published: 2026-11-03

MP G. Khosbayar, deputy chair of the Democratic Party (DP), has drafted a State Great Khural resolution to apply daylight saving time every year from 2027, and public comment is open on d.parliament.mn. Clocks would move forward one hour at 02:00 on the Friday-to-Saturday night in the last week of March and return to standard time at 00:00 on the same night in the last week of September. Work and service start times would stay unchanged. If adopted, the government would have to align flight, rail and road timetables, keep energy, telecom, banking and state information systems ready, adjust shift workers’ pay records, and brief schools and clinics. The public would be told at least 60 days before the first change. The stated aim is efficient use of natural daylight.

Coverage:

Lawmakers Press Officials Over Journalist’s Detention and Phone Seizure

Published: 2026-11-03

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Legal Affairs examined systemic violations in criminal proceedings on November 3, citing the case of journalist T. Shinebayar. He was detained on October 11 and released on October 16 after a complaint by Ts. Ganzorig, the President’s press spokesperson, and police seized his phone. MP N. Altankhuyag said a nine-point parliamentary resolution has not been implemented.

“Not one of the nine items of this resolution has been implemented.” - N. Altankhuyag (ikon.mn)

Justice and Home Affairs Minister G. Temuulen said Resolution No. 15 was issued on May 1 and the ministry has drafted four to five bills. Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law and the Criminal Code are planned for submission this autumn session. Police Col. N. Mishigdorj said the phone was searched with prosecutor approval and seized as evidence after traces of a crime were found on it, and it cannot be returned.

Coverage:

Parliament working groups prepare housing law and 2027 budget bills for discussion

Published: 2026-11-03

Parliament’s four standing committees and five working groups set up by the Speaker’s orders are due to meet on November 3. Working groups will prepare the draft Law on Housing for discussion, along with the 2027 budget package: the state budget, the National Wealth Fund, Social Insurance Fund and Health Insurance Fund budgets, and amendments to the 2027 budget framework statement and 2028-2029 projections. Others will prepare discussion of the revised Statistics Law and Public Property Law, and a general oversight hearing on public procurement from 2006 to 2026. A budget oversight sub-committee will hear the Education Minister on the “School Close to Home - Best School” initiative. The Human Development and Social Policy Committee will also consider the Health Worker Law bill and a resolution on measures following the Tobacco Control Law amendments.

Coverage:

Child social media bill draws comparison with 2023 content law the president vetoed

Published: 2026-11-03

Nine MPs including P. Naranbayar submitted a draft law on July 22, 2026 to regulate children’s participation in social networks. The bill would bar children under 13 from registering and require special protection settings for ages 13-16, including limits on the visibility, distribution and algorithmic recommendation of content defined as harmful to children or prohibited. An isee.mn commentary, which opens by citing a case in which teenage girls filmed and posted an assault that shocked the public, argues the broad definitions could restrict adults’ freedom of expression. It compares the bill with a 2023 social media law from the government led by L. Oyun-Erdene, which parliament passed on January 20, 2023 and President Khurelsukh vetoed in full on January 27. Parliament accepted the veto on March 17. Several sponsors, including Naranbayar, served as ministers in that government.

Coverage:

Economy

Fuel Reserves Hold as Officials Confirm 92,000 Tonnes of November Orders

Published: 2026-11-03

Deputy Minister B. Munkhtamir briefed the Fuel Rapid Response Headquarters on November 3. Reports from ikon.mn, news.mn, tug.mn and urug.mn cite about 10 days of AI-92 petrol cover; gogo.mn and isee.mn cite 12. All cite 28 days of diesel and 36 of jet fuel. Of 57,000 tonnes ordered from Russia’s Angarsk refinery for October, 51,000 were loaded and about 5,700 are in transit, as most outlets reported; 8,000 tonnes of Chinese petrol have arrived. Officials said 92,000 tonnes were confirmed for November, with 70,000 tonnes from Russia, 12,000 from South Korea, 8,000 from China and 3,000 from Kazakhstan. Officials link delays to slow wagon turnover; about 1,500 fuel wagons are on the Ulaanbaatar Railway network. A 16,000-cubic-metre Shine Erin storage tank is ready to enter service.

“There is no need for people to line up in large numbers for fuel.” - B. Munkhtamir (ikon.mn)

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Central Bank Lets Struggling Borrowers Extend Consumer Loans Up to 48 Months

Published: 2026-11-03

The Bank of Mongolia’s Monetary Policy Committee decided on November 3 that borrowers in financial difficulty can restructure DTI-limited consumer loans, without additional credit, extending the total term to up to 48 months. DTI-limited consumer loans restructured without additional credit under this rule will not be subject to the DTI limit. It covers salary, herder and car loans. Borrowers must apply to their bank; President S. Narantsogt said interest rates will not change, though total interest paid will rise, and the 45 percent DTI cap still applies to new loans. The central bank said non-performing DTI-limited consumer loans reached 9.1 percent in September, up 2.7 percentage points year on year, and 66.4 percent of 1.2 million bank borrowers exceed 45 percent DTI. Other macroprudential tools are unchanged.

“Banks will decide under their own procedures once borrowers submit a request.” - S. Narantsogt (ikon.mn)

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Rio Tinto Begins Phased Restart of Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine After Seismic Event

Published: 2026-11-03

Rio Tinto said on Friday it has begun restarting underground operations at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in phases after detailed safety inspections. The underground work had been halted after a seismic event on October 29 that caused rock to fall in a temporary storage area near the mining zone. The company said the underground facilities and infrastructure sustained no structural damage. Three employees were injured, none fatally; two are receiving medical care and their injuries are not life-threatening. Rio Tinto also reported disruption to vehicle traffic through the Gantsmod border crossing on the China-Mongolia border, which has reduced truck availability for hauling copper concentrate from Oyu Tolgoi. Rio Tinto holds 66 percent of the project, with the Mongolian government holding the remainder.

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LPG Import Price Climbs to About $800 per Tonne, Lifting Gas Prices

Published: 2026-11-03

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices are rising in line with fuel, Ch. Khishigdalai, a department head at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, said at the Fuel Rapid Response Headquarters briefing on November 3. He said world petroleum product prices have increased. Mongolia previously bought LPG from Russia at about $400-500 per tonne; the price is now about $800 as the supplying producers raised theirs. As with fuel, he said, LPG prices are rising to a certain extent. He linked the rise to seasonal demand, saying LPG consumption in Russia climbs sharply from September to November with farming, harvesting and processing, which lifted prices on Russia’s domestic market.

“We hope this is a temporary issue.” - Ch. Khishigdalai (ikon.mn)

Coverage:

Police Probe Network Allegedly Faking Foreign Investment to Win Residency Visas

Published: 2026-11-03

Criminal police have opened an investigation into a transnational network accused of registering fake companies as foreign-invested to obtain residence visas.

Reports say 47 Mongolian citizens and 26 foreign nationals changed the business activities of about 100 companies and registered them as foreign-invested using forged documents.

To meet requirements for such firms, funds were temporarily placed in company accounts and withdrawn as soon as the documents to be submitted to banks and the state registry had been put together.

The companies appeared to hold 112 billion in investment, though the report names no currency and says no actual foreign money entered the country.

Locals reportedly sold newly formed companies to foreigners seeking long-term residence for 500,000 to 1 million tugrik each.

Several sources confirm investigators are examining possible involvement of state officials, including registry staff. Police say the probe has only begun and have released no further details.

Coverage:

Fuel Prices Up 70–80 Percent as Shortages and Queues Persist

Published: 2026-11-03

Fuel queues and shortages have persisted for two to three months, with prices climbing sharply, a Unuudur commentary reports. Mongolia imports all of its petroleum products, and a government ministry has repeatedly blamed strikes on Russian fuel depots and refineries.

Some stations have run out of the cheapest AI-92 petrol and now sell Euro-92 at 5,600 tugrik per litre. Elsewhere, AI-95 costs 5,330 tugrik, regular 92 costs 3,590 and diesel costs 5,540, which the article puts 70–80 percent above a year ago.

Resellers using small tankers reportedly sell AI-92 at 5,000 tugrik per litre and diesel at 7,000–8,000 tugrik on call.

The author asks why storage capacity and import channels were not expanded, and why construction of the Mongolian oil refinery, whose foundation was laid in 2018, shows almost no news.

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Bank of Mongolia Denies Exchange-Rate Jump, Citing Record Reserves

Published: 2026-11-03

Bank of Mongolia Governor S. Narantsogt said the official exchange rate is stable, rejecting reports that it had risen, at a press conference on November 3. The official rate is 3,598.99 tugrik per US dollar.

“Reports of an exchange rate increase circulated quite a bit yesterday. There is no such thing. The rate is stable.” - S. Narantsogt (ikon.mn)

He said speculation occasionally appears around holidays and weekends at the Naiman Sharga, and blamed a few non-bank institutions for raising their buying rates; he said specific action should be taken.

He said the central bank fulfills 100 percent of banks’ weekly requests and pays rising fuel import payments without limits. Official foreign currency reserves are at a record high of 8.9 billion US dollars, including 1.7 billion belonging to the Future Heritage Fund.

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Central Bank Chief Urges Special Government Bond to Settle Losses, Citing Inflation Effects

Published: 2026-11-03

Bank of Mongolia President S. Narantsogt says the central bank’s seven trillion loss should be settled with a special government bond, the international norm and an approach the IMF advised in 2023 and called necessary in August 2026. The Finance Ministry has voiced concern about budget strain, but he said an accounting or legal method could avoid creating a deficit. Settling it would spare the budget bond interest and principal payments from 2032, he said.

“If the central bank’s losses are not resolved, they affect inflation both openly and covertly.” - S. Narantsogt (itoim.mn)

Interest costs make up 74% of the loss; quasi-fiscal financing since 2012 totaled 15.7 trillion tugrik, or 5.4 trillion net. The 2027 monetary policy guidelines contain 17 measures, including reforms closing six inflation channels. A deputy governor nominee is due this autumn session.

Coverage:

Khangi Port Coal Exports Reach 14 Million Tons, Surpassing All of 2025

Published: 2026-11-03

Coal exports through the Khangi border port reached 14 million tons as of November 1, 2026. That compares with 8.6 million tons exported in all of 2025, a 62.8% increase over last year’s full-year total. Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi exported 5.7 million tons so far this year, nearly four times the 1.4 million tons it exported last year. For 2027, plans call for opening new border crossings and expanding existing ones to reduce border and port congestion and transport backlogs and to raise throughput capacity. Cooperation is also to expand with Bugat city in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a focus on coal exports and transport and logistics operations. Plans also include launching an “Erdenes Camp” project to improve working and living conditions for workers and civil servants in the port zone.

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Trailer Maker Cites Staff Retention Problems for Hiring Bangladeshi Workers

Published: 2026-11-03

Ts. Byambatseren, founder and director of trailer maker Khami Mongol Chirguul LLC, drew public attention after writing online that his company employs foreign workers. Reactions split between calls to support domestic labor and arguments that foreign hiring helps productivity. In an interview with news.mn, he said the firm has built car trailers and travel vehicles for 12 years and has seven Mongolian employees, mostly welders. He said the main difficulty is finding staff who stay, citing absenteeism, sudden job changes and alcohol dependence among some workers, along with rising electricity and fuel costs. His company has employed Bangladeshi workers for more than a year, and he says they now work normally and follow safety rules. He said they spend about $5,000-6,000 to come and often plan to stay five to six years.

“I believe I am responsible for these workers’ safety.” - Ts. Byambatseren (news.mn)

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Khan Bank Raises $210 Million From IFC Package for Small Business Lending

Published: 2026-11-03

Khan Bank has raised $210 million under a $300 million financing package approved by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member. The funds are for long-term lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including women- and youth-owned businesses and firms in rural and agricultural sectors. IFC supplied $130 million from its own resources, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai lent $70 million, and a further $10 million came from an IFC currency-risk swap. It is the two banks’ first loan to Mongolia under IFC’s syndicated loan program and IFC’s first tugrik financing for a Mongolian commercial bank.

“This financing takes our partnership with IFC to a new level.” - R. Munkhtuya (peak.mn)

“Expanding small business financing is vital for job creation and economic diversification.” - Victoria Delmon (peak.mn)

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Lawmaker Warns Larger 2027 State Budget Is Crowding Out Private Business

Published: 2026-11-03

MP D. Enkhtuvshin says the 2027 draft budget, now moving to a fourth round of debate in Parliament, expands state spending. Spending stood at 38.3 percent of GDP in 2024 and 34.8 percent in 2025; the government proposed 37.8 percent for 2027. A decision to keep a planned 2 trillion tugrik Oyu Tolgoi dividend in the Savings Fund lowers the spending ceiling to 41.6 trillion tugrik, or 36.1 percent of GDP. He says higher spending narrows room for private business, with most 2027 commercial lending set to go to state and local budgets and state-owned companies. He and MP B. Jargalan have submitted a bill to restore a Fiscal Stability Law provision allowing a proposal to dismiss the government if budget requirements are unmet.

“The more our lives depend on politicians, the worse they get.” - D. Enkhtuvshin (news.mn)

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Gold falls to USD 3,875 per ounce, lowest level in a year, as prices drop 26.9 percent since the start of the year

Published: 2026-11-03

Gold fell to USD 3,875-4,010 per ounce on international markets, the lowest level in the past year, according to unuudur.mn. The price is down 7.23 percent over the past month and 26.9 percent since the start of the year. It peaked at USD 5,589-5,626 in January 2026, a record. Growth slowed from last spring, and gold dropped below USD 4,000 in late October. Analysts cite geopolitical uncertainty and US Federal Reserve policy. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan forecast that gold will reach USD 4,650-5,200 per ounce by the end of 2026. In Mongolia, the Bank of Mongolia’s official rate put the average gold purchase price at 452,000 tugrik the previous day, up 58.7 percent from a year earlier.

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Diplomacy

Russian Ambassador Cites Storage and Distribution Gaps in Fuel Shortage, Says Supplies Are Rising

Published: 2026-11-03

Russian Ambassador Aleksey Nikolayevich Evsikov attributed the fuel shortage to two factors at a November 3 conference marking 105 years of diplomatic relations: insufficient storage tank and depot capacity, where decisions to expand have been poorly implemented, and importers’ inadequate distribution and sales networks. He said supplies of aviation fuel, gasoline and diesel are increasing.

“Despite difficult conditions with domestic fuel in Russia, we continue to supply fuel to Mongolia.” - A.N. Evsikov (gogo.mn)

Two intergovernmental agreements on petroleum products and aviation fuel have begun implementation, letting Mongolian importers buy Russian fuel through a single window. Russian railways and Ulaanbaatar Railway give fuel shipments priority. The conference also presented a four-volume compilation of treaties from 1921–2026, published in Mongolian and Russian.

Coverage:

President Khurelsukh and Germany’s Steinmeier sign joint declaration expanding strategic partnership

Published: 2026-11-03

President Khurelsukh began a three-nation European state visit, covering Germany, Finland and Belarus, in Germany, timed with the 100th anniversary of Mongolian-German cooperation in education. He and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed a joint declaration setting priorities for the strategic partnership established in 2024. The sides agreed to expand scholarships for Mongolian students, introduce German vocational education programs, prioritize renewable energy and green-economy cooperation, and study mutual recognition of driving licences and a social security agreement. They also agreed to open a Mongolian Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main. At a business forum with over 270 participants, companies concluded six agreements and memorandums with a total value of USD 35.5 million. Steinmeier said:

“Such encounters broaden human understanding and open up a new world.” - Frank-Walter Steinmeier (ikon.mn)

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Infrastructure

Ulaanbaatar Cable Car Tests Brakes With Loaded Cabins; Sharp Swaying Expected

Published: 2026-11-03

Load testing of Ulaanbaatar’s cable car is underway, with cabins carrying 750 kg expected to swing sharply and stop suddenly as engineers deliberately trigger the motor and safety brakes. The ride from Yarmag to the Kharkhorin trade center takes 11 minutes.

Poma Group construction engineer Juan Munier said the swaying and stops are part of safety testing.

“You need not worry about anything; please use our cable car service.” - Juan Munier (ikon.mn)

Testing began in September. A full-system run of all 98 cabins, empty and loaded, is planned to follow.

Responding to public concerns, experts said the constantly moving steel cable makes thick ice buildup unlikely, and a backup generator would bring cabins to the station if power fails. Every cabin has a radio.

Coverage:

Ulaanbaatar Connects New West Water Source, Its Largest, to City Network

Published: 2026-11-03

Ulaanbaatar’s West water source, the country’s largest, began supplying the central network on November 2. A 9 km pipeline, 700–1,000 mm in diameter, was connected that morning, and supply started at 10:00 at 14,000 cubic meters per day.

The US Millennium Challenge Corporation funded the source with a grant under its second compact with the Mongolian government. Its capacity is 130,000–144,000 cubic meters per day; residents use 190,000–210,000 on average.

Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WSSA) head Ts. Turkhuu said engineering solutions are now in place to supply 350,000–360,000 cubic meters daily.

“With this, Ulaanbaatar will have no water problems until 2050-2055.” - Ts. Turkhuu (itoim.mn)

A feasibility study for the Tuul reservoir complex, to tap surface water, has been handed to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing. The city’s 2040 master plan projects 2.3 million residents.

Coverage:

127.3 km Rail Line Targets Ulaanbaatar’s 144-Minute Daily Crossing Delays

Published: 2026-11-03

A 127.3 km rail line linking Bagahangai, Khushig Valley and Emeelt is presented as a fix for one of Ulaanbaatar’s biggest traffic bottlenecks: railway crossings that cut across the city. A study found that crossing barriers delay road traffic in the capital by an average of 144 minutes a day, more than two hours. Once the line is in operation, main freight flows would bypass the city, and estimates show crossing closure times falling by 21 to 120 minutes. Minister of Road and Transport B. Delgersaikhan, who previously built a railway with private investment, brings relevant experience, the article says. It contrasts the project with the Gashuunsukhait line, which drew large state budget and fund investment before work stalled for years; the line was later continued, but an unresolved gauge mismatch has slowed cargo at the border.

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2027 Budget Earmarks 8.6 Billion Tugrik for Khushoot Briquette Fuel Plant Power Supply

Published: 2026-11-03

As Parliament reviews the 2027 state budget, the draft gives the Ministry of Energy 1.2 trillion tugrik: 223 billion for current spending and 1 trillion for capital spending. It covers 26 continuing projects and 18 new ones funded from Oyu Tolgoi dividends. For power supply to an improved briquette fuel plant near the Khushoot coal mine in Darvi soum, Khovd Province, 8.6 billion of a 25 billion total is planned for 2027. Other 2027 allocations include 10 billion for power and heating lines and the Aerocity substation in Sergelen soum, Tuv Province; 18 billion for a 220 kV line and substation on the Erdeneburen-Myangad route in Khovd; 12 billion for power supply to the oil refinery in Altanshiree soum, Dornogovi Province; 3.9 billion and 10 billion for installing the seventh and ninth turbine generators at Thermal Power Plant No. 3 in Khan-Uul District; and 2 billion for renewable energy equipment in Bayangol District.

Coverage:

Preliminary Joint Study Finds Egiin Gol Hydropower Plant Feasible

Published: 2026-11-03

A joint study by the Mongolian and Russian academies of sciences has preliminarily concluded that the Egiin Gol hydropower plant can be built without significant adverse effects on the ecosystems of Lake Baikal and the Selenge River. Academy of Sciences President S. Demberel presented the finding on November 3 at a conference marking 105 years of Mongolian-Russian diplomatic relations. The joint working group, formed during a 2024 intergovernmental meeting in Moscow to study whether the project could be implemented, worked for two years. An infeasibility finding would have been presented officially to end the many-year dispute. The preliminary conclusion, reached at a joint meeting in Irkutsk, rests on technological and technical solutions proposed by the Mongolian side. The overall results are due to be sent to the Russian Academy of Sciences on November 19.

“We are not decision-makers ourselves, but people who give science-based advice.” - S. Demberel (gogo.mn)

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Society

Fuel Stations to Serve People With Disabilities Without Queuing

Published: 2026-11-03

Fuel stations will serve people with disabilities without requiring them to wait in line, under Article 43.1.3 of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and a decision of the Fuel Rapid Response Headquarters, as announced by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. The arrangement also covers parents and guardians of children with disabilities. People with disabilities must present an E-Mongolia certificate stating their percentage and duration of lost work capacity, plus an ID card. Parents and guardians must present the certificate determining the child’s disability, the child’s birth certificate and their own ID card. Station managers and attendants are to serve these customers promptly, based on the documents, without causing them difficulty or inconvenience. The headquarters also urged other drivers and residents to respect the rights of these customers and show understanding.

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Banking Association Official Lists Three Checks to Avoid Online Fraud

Published: 2026-11-03

Z. Ganbagana, deputy chair of the Mongolian Bankers Association’s Information Security Professional Council, outlined three steps to avoid online fraud as experts warn of rising cases. First, confirm that Facebook advertisements come from a bank’s official page; most banks operating in Mongolia carry the blue verification badge, and scammers can use fake ads that borrow bank names and logos. Second, check that text messages show the bank’s name as sender and avoid suspicious links. Third, treat emails with caution, since phishing messages imitate bank names, logos and templates to lure recipients to fake links; verify the sender’s address, logo and link. Ganbagana said these three steps make it entirely possible to prevent online fraud.

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ADB Grant Agreement Signed to Curb Gender-Based Violence in Schools

Published: 2026-11-03

Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Resident Representative John Juhyun Jeong signed a 3 million US dollar grant agreement on November 3 to strengthen prevention of and response to gender-based violence in schools. Education Minister L. Enkh-Amgalan and Kondo Kazumasa, deputy chief of the Japanese Embassy, attended. The grant combines 1 million dollars from the Asian Development Fund and 2 million from Japan’s Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific. The government will add 1 million dollars, bringing total financing to 4 million. The project will renovate dormitories at four schools in three provinces, creating a safer learning environment for about 19,500 students, and introduce prevention and response programs in 12 schools in Ulaanbaatar and the provinces. It also covers training for teachers and social workers and services for affected children and women.

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Base Pension Payments Begin as Three-Tier Retirement System Takes Shape

Published: 2026-11-03

Pensioners began receiving a new state-funded base pension on November 1, adding 100,000 to 300,000 tugrik a month on top of their main pension. Parliament amended the law on pensions from the Social Insurance Fund on July 2, then funded the payments through its October 16 revision of the 2026 budget, moving the start forward two months from January 1, 2027. The Government says 413,000 pensioners received payments on November 1; earlier estimates put eligible recipients at 435,000. The amount depends on contribution years and current pension: someone with 20 years of contributions and a 769,000 tugrik pension receives 201,550 tugrik, versus 276,550 for 35 years. Women qualify from age 55 and men from 60. The law also sets a three-tier system of base pension, insurance-fund pension and voluntary private supplementary pension, with the other elements to be phased in.

Coverage:

Environment

Ulaanbaatar Plans Electric Heating for Up to 10,000 Ger-District Households This Winter

Published: 2026-11-03

Ulaanbaatar plans to switch thousands of ger-district households to electric heating this winter, the city’s governor said at a national coal phase-out forum on November 3.

“We plan to move 7,000–10,000 ger-district households, together with UNICEF, to a complete electric heating solution with safe connections, energy efficiency and heat accumulators this winter.” - B. Purevdagva (news.mn)

With the UN Development Programme, the city will build a 2.4 MW solar plant with battery storage.

5,000 households in high-smog areas have moved to liquefied gas, 408 to solar power, and 31 boilers to gas or electric heating.

The city says coal use by more than 161,000 households makes up about 51 percent of the capital’s air pollution; vehicles add about 33 percent.

It plans 80 EV charging stations and a public-private pyrolysis plant at Baganuur.

Separately, work has begun drafting a national 2027–2040 roadmap for phasing out household coal.

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Draft 2026–2030 Plan Targets 55% Cut in Air Pollution by 2030

Published: 2026-11-03

The government has drafted a 2026–2030 air pollution reduction plan after the national program on air and environmental pollution expired. The draft, opened to public discussion, follows State Great Khural Resolution No. 53, which ordered a plan covering every pollution source. It lists 58 measures in seven groups, including amending the Law on Air and the Law on Air Pollution Fees, increasing household clean-fuel use, re-planning ger districts, and developing heat and power plants and renewable energy. Experts estimate full implementation could cut air pollution about 55% from current levels by 2030, with targets of 66% for PM2.5, 77% for PM10, 64% for sulfur dioxide and 15% for nitrogen dioxide. Participants noted Ulaanbaatar’s air quality has improved by an average of 50% in recent years after the switch to semi-coke fuel, but said further progress requires measures covering all sources.

Coverage:

Field Research on Nömrög Fire Damage Finishes Ahead of Schedule

Published: 2026-11-03

Researchers have completed field work to assess fire damage in Nömrög Strict Protected Area ahead of schedule. A team of about 50 scientists, researchers, experts and officials finished the first two of four stages by October 31, covering remote-sensing data processing, field measurements and sampling. Helicopter access to remote, hard-to-reach areas helped the team finish early. Preliminary findings show about 24,000 hectares of forest ecosystem were affected by the fire. Laboratory analysis of soil and plant samples is under way to determine how the fire changed soil properties and affected the ecosystem. Burn severity and forest age will be reported in the final conclusions, followed by an overall environmental damage assessment. Steppe samples will be compared with Botanical Garden harvest samples from 2024 and 2025. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Ts. Sandag-Ochir and State Secretary Sh. Batbayar met team representatives to review progress.

Coverage:

Health

Family Clinics Extend Hours From November 7 as Flu Cases Rise in Ulaanbaatar

Published: 2026-11-03

Ulaanbaatar’s family health centers will extend opening hours from November 7 as influenza and flu-like illness spread, the Capital City Health Department announced. As of November 2, the Ulaanbaatar Ambulance Center received 2,249 calls, up 56.72 percent from a year earlier, and 877 children were hospitalized in city-run health facilities, up 14.79 percent from 764. Centers will stay open until 20:00 on weekdays and 16:00 on public holidays. For weekends, tug.mn, peak.mn and urug.mn report 17:00, while ikon.mn lists 16:00 for weekends and holidays alike. The department will also step up home visits and monitoring for at-risk residents and organize day treatment at family health centers. The three-year average puts the peak of flu outbreaks at November 19-24. Health officials advise wearing masks in public places, washing hands regularly, dressing warmly and ventilating rooms, and seeing a doctor rather than self-medicating.

Coverage:

Children Up to 18 Can Get Free Flu Medicine Worth 100,000 Tugrik at Family Clinics

Published: 2026-11-03

Children aged 0–18 who catch influenza can receive a one-time supply of free medicine worth 100,000 tugrik from their family clinic. A Health Minister’s order sets the period from October 1, 2026 to May 1, 2027, for cases where treatment is needed. The scheme has operated since 2024, but information on how to access it is scarce. Parents should take a child showing cold symptoms to their family clinic for examination and diagnosis; the medicine is issued only if the doctor concludes drug treatment is required. Budgets differ between clinics, as funding depends on the number of children each clinic serves. The Health Insurance General Office said 3.6 billion tugrik has been budgeted for influenza medicine this year.

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