Politics
Parliament Opens Autumn Session, Delays 2027 Budget Debate
Published: 2026-09-15
Parliament opened its 2026 autumn session on September 15 with 87 members present, or 69% attendance. The agenda includes the 2027 state budget, the National Wealth Fund, social and health insurance budgets, and amendments covering taxation, labor mobility, food safety, heat supply and public procurement. The government submitted the 2027 budget framework and fiscal projections for 2028-29 on August 31. Its proposal lists balanced revenue of MNT 41.3 trillion, expenditure of MNT 43.6 trillion and a MNT 2.306 trillion deficit for 2027. The DP parliamentary group received a three-working-day recess before the first readings, delaying debate on the budget package. Speaker S. Byambatsogt also highlighted energy reliability and mortgage-policy reform in his opening address.
Coverage:
Democratic Party Presses Uchral to Seek Confidence Vote
Published: 2026-09-15
The DP parliamentary group called on Prime Minister N. Uchral to submit a confidence motion to Parliament, saying it would otherwise introduce a motion to remove him. The demand accompanied the opening of Parliament’s autumn session and an opposition sit-in outside the State Palace. DP leader O. Tsogtgerel said the Finance Minister had acknowledged that the budget was submitted in breach of the law. Under Article 44 of the Constitution, Parliament begins considering a prime minister’s confidence motion after three days and must decide within 10 days by a majority of all members. If the resolution is not adopted, the prime minister is considered resigned and Parliament must appoint a new prime minister within 30 days. The DP also raised allegations involving government ministers that were not independently established in the reports.
Coverage:
2027 Budget Faces Fiscal-Risk Warning as Monetary Plan Targets 5% Inflation
Published: 2026-09-15
Parliament’s MPP caucus discussed the 2027 budget on September 15 as the Fiscal Stability Council warned that the submitted plan could heighten medium-term risks. The caucus said the draft projects 45.7 trillion tugriks in consolidated revenue, 41.3 trillion in balanced revenue and 43.6 trillion in spending, equal to 37.3% of GDP. The council’s assessment put spending at 37.8% of GDP and government debt at 50%, respectively 7.8 and five percentage points above targets in the 2026-30 development plan. It said planned revenue growth relies heavily on non-tax income, including state-owned-company and Oyu Tolgoi LLC dividends. Separately, the Bank of Mongolia opened public discussion on draft 2027 monetary-policy guidelines, targeting medium-term inflation of about 5%, within a two-percentage-point band.
Coverage:
Prime Minister Orders Winter Preparations and Sets Budget Priorities
Published: 2026-09-15
Prime Minister Uchral reviewed preparations for the 2026-2027 winter season with provincial and Ulaanbaatar authorities, alongside a briefing on the 2026 budget amendment and 2027 draft budget. He instructed officials to protect herder households, maintain school attendance, ensure timely medical care and food supplies, and keep businesses operating through winter. Each province and the capital must identify outstanding preparations, designate a responsible party, set a deadline and specify a funding source. Uchral said the government intends to raise the minimum pension from MNT 769,000 to at least MNT 1 million, increase wages, ease tax burdens and expand housing access. He said energy tariffs would not rise and that authorities were addressing Thermal Power Plant No. 3 and provincial heating plants.
“Every issue must have an owner, every task a deadline, every solution a rationale, and every implementation must be monitored.” - Prime Minister Uchral (urug.mn)
Coverage:
Enforcement Agency Leaders Accuse Justice Minister of Interference
Published: 2026-09-15
Senior leaders of the General Agency for Court Decision Enforcement, led by director Brigadier General A. Namsamand, publicly accused the justice and home affairs minister and ministry officials of interfering in the agency’s operations. Namsamand said the agency planned to seek a legal review of circumstances that could threaten its daily operations and security. He alleged that the minister had pressured the agency to promote personnel who did not meet legal or job-description requirements, and that some appointments had already been made. He further alleged ministry involvement in civil enforcement cases involving companies connected to politically influential figures, including claims of outstanding payments exceeding USD 4 million and MNT 53 billion. The allegations were made at a September 14 briefing and had not been independently adjudicated in the report.
“I did not swear an oath to carry out any minister’s unlawful instructions.” - A. Namsamand (unuudur.mn)
Coverage:
DP Files Constitutional Complaint Against Parliament Speaker Byambatsogt
Published: 2026-09-15
The DP has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court alleging that Parliament Speaker S. Byambatsogt violated the Constitution. The complaint was submitted last Friday through lawyer N. Arinbold, after the party had said on the opening day of Parliament’s extraordinary session that it would pursue the matter. Under the law governing Constitutional Court proceedings, the court chair assigns a citizen’s complaint to a member for an initial review. That member must decide within 14 days whether to open a constitutional dispute. Requests submitted by bodies or officials authorized to apply directly to the court instead lead to an immediate case review. No details of the alleged constitutional violation were provided in the report.
Coverage:
Parliament Sends 2026 Budget Amendment to Third Reading as Political Dispute Grows
Published: 2026-09-15
Parliament has sent amendments to Mongolia’s 2026 state budget, National Wealth Fund budget, Social Insurance Fund budget, and Health Insurance Fund budget for preparation for a third reading. Of 68 members present, 56, or 82.4 percent, supported the finding that the proposals comply with relevant laws, the medium-term fiscal framework, and the annual development plan. Parliament Speaker S. Byambatsogt said the amendment addresses spending cuts, staple-food prices, fuel reserves, power-system reliability, and increases to wages and pensions. Political debate has also focused on an allegation that MNT 3.5 billion was earmarked for a school linked to Prime Minister Uchral; Education Minister L. Enkh-Amgalan and Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan denied it, while opposition members sought an anti-corruption review. The DP caucus has called for the amendment to be withdrawn.
Coverage:
Audit Finds Ulaanbaatar Budget Shortfall and High Management Pay
Published: 2026-09-15
An audit of Ulaanbaatar’s 2025 budget execution found revenue of MNT3.826 trillion, or 90.6% of the revised plan, leaving a MNT396.9 billion shortfall. Approved spending was MNT5.835 trillion, of which MNT4.526 trillion was used, while district budgets collected MNT2.297 trillion against a MNT2.489 trillion target. The report consolidated 238 financial statements, and auditors reviewed 237 of them, identifying MNT1.885 trillion in errors and violations; MNT460.8 billion was corrected. It noted monthly pay of MNT5.5 million to MNT12.8 million for managers at locally owned entities, higher than average pay. The audit also reported MNT1.567 trillion in long-term foreign securities held as commercial-bank deposits rather than used for investment projects, and MNT7.6 billion in approved capital increases spent on operating costs.
Coverage:
Economy
Food Prices Drive Annual Inflation to 12.5% in August
Published: 2026-09-15
The National Statistics Office reported that consumer prices in August 2026 were 12.5% higher than a year earlier and 1.1% higher than in July. Goods prices rose 13.0% year on year, while services increased 10.9%. Food, beverages and water posted the largest annual rise, reported across the supplied coverage as 21.4% to 21.5%, and accounted for 46.9% of inflation. Alcohol and tobacco prices rose 14.2%, transport 11.2%, and hotel, restaurant and accommodation services 16.4%. Insurance and financial services increased 17.1%; sources also reported an increase in education services. Domestic goods excluding meat and solid fuel contributed 4.4 percentage points to inflation, while imported goods excluding petrol and fuel contributed 2.0 points.
Coverage:
Government Seeks One Million Tonnes of Fuel Products From China
Published: 2026-09-15
Industry and Mineral Resources Minister G. Damdinyam said Mongolia is working to purchase one million tonnes of petroleum products annually from PetroChina, equivalent to about one-third of national annual consumption of roughly three million tonnes. He said discussions during a recent visit to China produced an offer for regular supply and negotiations over a market-based pricing formula. Mongolia currently imports Euro 2-standard fuel from Russia after seeking lower-priced gasoline, while both China and Russia produce Euro 5-standard fuel. Damdinyam said current conditions leave Mongolia with little choice but to shift toward the higher-cost Euro 5 standard. He added that reserves have not yet been built up and that authorities are focused on maintaining uninterrupted supply. The report describes an intended procurement arrangement, not a completed supply contract.
Coverage:
Exports Reach $14.4 Billion in First Eight Months
Published: 2026-09-15
Foreign trade turnover reached $22.8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, with exports of $14.4 billion and imports of $8.4 billion, producing a $6.0 billion surplus, according to official statistics. The source reported that export revenue increased by $5.2 billion year on year, while imports rose by $891.2 million. Copper ore and concentrate, coal, gold and combed cashmere led export growth. Copper ore and concentrate exports increased by $2.8 billion and coal by $1.9 billion. Import growth was driven mainly by higher diesel and gasoline prices. Gasoline imports reached 619,400 tonnes, up 12.1%, while diesel imports totaled 1.3 million tonnes, up 5.7%. Trade was conducted with 155 countries. Passenger-car, truck and smartphone imports declined from the same period a year earlier.
Coverage:
Budget Deficit Reaches 2.2 Trillion Tugriks Despite Rising Revenue
Published: 2026-09-15
Preliminary data for January through August show consolidated budget revenue and grants reached 22.9 trillion tugriks, 3.5 trillion tugriks higher than a year earlier. Balanced revenue and grants totaled 20.1 trillion tugriks, an increase of 2.0 trillion tugriks, while total spending and net lending reached 22.2 trillion tugriks, up 2.9 trillion tugriks. The resulting balanced budget deficit was 2.2 trillion tugriks. Tax revenue totaled 18.6 trillion tugriks, 1.9 trillion tugriks more than a year earlier, driven mainly by higher social-insurance receipts, value-added tax and income tax. Excise-tax revenue declined by 86.7 billion tugriks. Capital spending reached 4.2 trillion tugriks, up 991.9 billion tugriks. Industrial output reached 49.9 trillion tugriks, 18.0 trillion tugriks higher than a year earlier, with mining and quarrying a leading contributor to the increase.
Coverage:
Average Pay Tops 3 Million Tugriks as Real Wages Slip
Published: 2026-09-15
Average monthly nominal pay per employee reached 3.03 million tugriks in the second quarter of 2026, up 92,200 tugriks, or 3.1%, from the previous quarter, according to the National Statistics Office. Median pay was 2.62 million tugriks. After inflation, however, the real-wage index fell 1.8% quarter on quarter, although it was 1% higher than a year earlier. Mining and quarrying remained the highest-paying sector, with average monthly nominal pay of 5.42 million tugriks, 79.1% above the national average. Hotels, accommodation and food services recorded the lowest average at 1.98 million tugriks. Men earned an average 3.3 million tugriks a month, compared with 2.8 million for women. Social-insurance records covered 879,800 employees at 57,000 organizations during the quarter.
Coverage:
Housing Prices Rise in Ulaanbaatar; Rents Reported
Published: 2026-09-15
Ulaanbaatar’s housing price index rose 7.2% year on year and 2.5% month on month in August 2026. New apartments averaged 4.77 million tugriks per square meter, while existing apartments averaged 4.78 million tugriks per square meter. Sukhbaatar District recorded the highest averages for both new and existing homes, at 5.51 million and 5.82 million tugriks per square meter, respectively. Prices for existing apartments rose fastest in Bayanzurkh District, increasing 11.6% from a year earlier. Sukhbaatar Square and the 220,000 residential area were the highest-priced surveyed locations, at 7.89 million tugriks per square meter, while the 21st microdistrict in Songinokhairkhan was lowest at 3.30 million. Average monthly rents were 1.40 million tugriks for a one-bedroom apartment, 1.93 million for two bedrooms and 3.03 million for three bedrooms.
Coverage:
Global Diesel Supply Constraints Expected to Continue Into Next Year
Published: 2026-09-15
Global diesel supplies are expected to remain constrained into next year because available refining capacity cannot fully replace disruptions from Russia and the Middle East, Reuters reported, citing refining and commodity-trading executives. Vitol Chief Executive Russell Hardy said roughly 2 million barrels per day of supply from Russia and nearly 2 million barrels per day from the Middle East had been disrupted. Russia has restricted diesel exports while repairing refineries hit by Ukrainian drones and addressing domestic shortages. Middle Eastern producers have faced refinery damage and difficulty exporting fuel through the Strait of Hormuz. Phillips 66 global trading senior vice president Mark Senn said low diesel inventories and the approaching winter supported high prices. Governments have begun taking urgent measures, such as fuel-tax cuts, as shortages raise consumer fuel costs.
Coverage:
Study Finds Mining Shutdown Could Shrink Economy by 46.4%
Published: 2026-09-15
A study by MMCG found that a complete halt in Mongolia’s mining sector could shrink the economy by 46.4% and put 378,000 jobs, or 16% of the workforce, at risk. The research, conducted since 2023, examined the economic and social contributions of Erdenet Mining Corporation, Oyu Tolgoi LLC and Energy Resources LLC, including taxes, jobs, suppliers, local development and infrastructure investment. It estimated that Oyu Tolgoi LLC accounts for 9% of GDP, Erdenet Mining Corporation for 5%, and Energy Resources LLC for 2%. The study also found that an integrated coal-industry complex of extraction, processing, transport and exports accounts for 8-12% of coal-sector extraction, GDP and budget revenue. It linked major mining operations with business growth and population retention in Tsogttsetsii and Khanbogd soums.
Coverage:
Diplomacy
Uchral and Russian Officials Advance Regional Cooperation Talks
Published: 2026-09-15
Prime Minister Uchral met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk on September 15 in connection with the second Mongolia-Russia Regional Forum, held September 14-15. The forum drew about 400 representatives from Russia’s government agencies and business community. The sides discussed opportunities to expand interregional cooperation in trade, investment, transport and logistics, tourism, sports, border cooperation and Eurasian transport corridors. In a separate meeting, Deputy Prime Minister N. Nomtoibayar met Alexey Tsydenov, head of Russia’s Republic of Buryatia, to discuss activating the Altanbulag Free Zone and increasing manufacturing and investment. Tsydenov said he would examine support and preferential conditions for businesses operating in the free zone. Officials also discussed faster information-sharing and mutual support during cross-border forest fires and other emergencies.
Coverage:
Infrastructure
Zaisan Heating Risk Leaves More Than 5,000 Households Exposed
Published: 2026-09-15
More than 5,000 households on the eastern side of Zaisan Hill in Ulaanbaatar may be unable to receive heat as the 2026-27 heating season begins. Ulaanbaatar Heating Network started connecting heating for schools, kindergartens, hospitals and residential buildings on September 15. The affected area is supplied downstream of Heating Distribution Center No. 80 in Khan-Uul District and is managed by the licensed private housing office Zaisan Sky. According to Ulaanbaatar Heating Network, Zaisan Sky has not concluded its thermal-energy supply contract, has substantial unpaid balances from the 2025-26 season, and operates a heat-transfer center that does not fully meet technical requirements. The utility’s chief engineer Ts. Erdenebulgan, relevant department heads and Energy Regulatory Commission representatives inspected the situation on site.
Coverage:
New Mortgage Package Planned for 16,000 Homebuyers
Published: 2026-09-15
The Finance Ministry and Bank of Mongolia are planning a new mortgage package that would offer a 6% interest rate for the first three years and 12% for the following seven years, Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan said on September 15. Commercial banks have received about 45,000 applications for 6% mortgages, highlighting the backlog in the subsidized lending program. The proposed package would target 16,000 completed apartments expected to enter service next year, rather than fund new construction. Mendsaikhan said the homes are among about 22,000 apartments already built with private-sector and government external-loan financing. Priority groups would include civil servants, doctors and teachers, with options to reduce down payments or rent before buying. The government has included plans in its budget to raise about USD 500 million, or 1.8 trillion tugriks, from international markets and cover the associated swap costs.
Coverage:
Planned Grid Maintenance Brings Temporary Power Restrictions on September 15
Published: 2026-09-15
Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network announced temporary electricity restrictions for September 15 as it carries out scheduled maintenance on power lines and distribution equipment. The company said the work is conducted under operating-safety rules for electrical installations and technical operating rules for energy equipment and facilities. Residents and businesses in the listed areas were asked to adjust electricity use during the announced outage periods. The company said schedules may change because of weather conditions and that customers whose mobile numbers are registered under their contracts will receive notifications of any revisions. The reports did not provide a complete text list of affected locations, although one source published the schedule as an image.
Coverage:
Railway Delegations Meet in Irkutsk to Plan 2027 Border Traffic
Published: 2026-09-15
Railway representatives from Mongolia, Russia and China began a four-day meeting in Irkutsk on September 15 to discuss freight and passenger traffic to be exchanged through border rail crossings in 2027. The Mongolian delegation is led by Kh. Kherlen, head of Ulaanbaatar Railway. The talks also involve the neighboring countries’ border railway commissions. Cross-border volumes have continued to grow: in the first half of 2026, Ulaanbaatar Railway’s import freight rose 26.7 percent year on year and export freight increased 12.2 percent. Cargo exchanged through the Zamiin-Uud-Erenhot crossing reached 9,579,027 tonnes, up 9.7 percent, while the Sukhbaatar-Naushki crossing handled 4,539,224 tonnes, up 6.5 percent.
Coverage:
Transport Ministry and EBRD Discuss Strategic Road Projects
Published: 2026-09-15
On September 15, State Secretary M. Bayarmagnai of the Ministry of Road and Transport met a delegation led by Hussein Ozhan, the EBRD regional director for Central Asia and Mongolia. They discussed a project to widen and upgrade the Choyr-Khushig Valley road to four lanes. Bayarmagnai described it as strategically important for expanding Mongolia’s north-south transport corridor and connecting it with the transport and logistics center being developed in Khushig Valley. The ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to expedite a mandate letter. The meeting also addressed a proposed 164.5-kilometer paved road linking Ulaangom with Tes, Malchin, Khyargas, Zuungovi, Tsagaankhairkhan and Baruun Turuu in Uvs Province. The EBRD expressed willingness to cooperate on both projects if approved by the Finance Ministry.
Coverage:
Ulaanbaatar Reports Winter Work 83% Complete and Orders Peak-Hour Transit Increases
Published: 2026-09-15
Ulaanbaatar says 573 winter-preparation projects are 83% complete as of September 15, covering utilities, roads, drainage, fuel and public services. The city has begun connecting household heating and is upgrading 57.3 km of external engineering networks, including 18.7 km of main heating lines, 16.1 km of residential-area lines and 6 km of the Tuul-1 wastewater collector. It has stockpiled 10,016 tonnes of salt and 6,140 tonnes of road-treatment materials. During the heating season, 446 outlets are to sell 280,000 tonnes of semi-coke fuel and 120,000 tonnes of improved briquettes. Mayor B. Purevdagva ordered operators to add buses, routes and service frequency during peak periods, normalize school-bus services and prepare hospitals. A 150 MW expansion of the third stage of the 300 MW Buuruljuut power plant is scheduled for December 2027.
Coverage:
Erdeneburen Hydropower Plant Reaches 40% Construction Progress
Published: 2026-09-15
Construction of the 90-megawatt Erdeneburen Hydropower Plant in Erdeneburen soum, Khovd province, is about 40% complete, according to a project update. The plant is designed to generate 360 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and is scheduled to enter service in May 2030. Planners expect it to supply the western region’s electricity needs and support the central power system. Foundation works have been completed, while water-collection-well work and first-layer concrete pouring for generators one through four have been carried out. The project will create a reservoir with an 11-billion-cubic-meter capacity and an artificial lake 24 kilometers long and four kilometers wide, to be called Shuteen Lake. It is also expected to create about 100 permanent jobs.
Coverage:
Rent-to-Own Housing Selection Opens October 10 as Land-Swap Homes Advance
Published: 2026-09-15
Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing E. Bat-Amgalan said online selection for the Solongo-1 and Solongo-2 rent-to-own housing projects will begin October 10 and run for 14 days. The projects set the price at MNT4.428 million per square meter, with selection through a 100-point electronic system. Solongo-1 is being prepared for the September 23 cabinet meeting under a Mongolia-South Korea government resolution, and selected households are expected to move in from November 1. The minister said the project targets nine groups, with 6% annual loan interest and a 15% initial payment requirement. A separate report says households must accumulate 30% of the apartment price during up to five years of renting to qualify for a mortgage. For Nogoon Nuur, he said 756 units are covered by land-exchange agreements and separately that 256 households would rent units.
Coverage:
Society
Cybercrime Drives Rise in Reported Offences as Accident Deaths Increase
Published: 2026-09-15
Mongolia recorded 35,500 crimes in the first eight months of 2026, a 5.2 percent increase from the same period last year, with offences against cyber information security rising 3.1 times and identified as the main driver. Crimes committed while intoxicated totaled 5,100, while 703 cases involved children. Reported crime-related losses reached MNT 636.1 billion, of which MNT 155.9 billion was recovered. Corruption cases rose 7.9 percent to 476. Separately, the National Statistics Office recorded 3,545 hazardous events and accidents, down 7.4 percent year on year. Human-caused incidents accounted for 3,311, or 93.4 percent, while 259 people died, up 16.7 percent. Total accident damage rose 45.5 percent to MNT 65 billion.
Coverage:
Prosecutors Send Alleged E-Mongolia Copycat Data Case to Court
Published: 2026-09-15
The Prosecutor General’s Office said it sent a case involving two suspects, identified as U and Ts, to the first-instance criminal court serving Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar and Chingeltei districts. Prosecutors allege that the pair created an imitation of the state-service E-Mongolia application, copied data and information, deliberately distributed it to others, forged authorized citizens’ personal information and sold it. The charges were filed under Article 23.2.1 of the Criminal Code concerning the creation and use of forged documents. The announcement was part of the office’s review of 44,545 registered and investigative criminal cases during September 7-11, when it opened 761 new case-registration cases and filed indictments in 324 cases.
Coverage:
Environment
Ulaanbaatar Starts Winter Briquette Sales Across Seven Districts
Published: 2026-09-15
Ulaanbaatar began selling briquetted fuel on September 15 for the 2026-27 heating season, distributing 2,275 tonnes across seven districts. Reports differed on whether sales began through 440 or 446 outlets; other reports said the city planned 500 sites, including 446 permanent and 54 reserve outlets. Tavan Tolgoi Fuel said it was producing 1,300-1,400 tonnes daily from washed thermal coal supplied by Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi and had stockpiled 27,600 tonnes. A 25-kilogram bag costs 3,750 tugriks through the Hotula application, and temporary residents must register with their khoroo before purchasing. Reports also differed on the planned briquette supply, citing either 120,000 or 80,000 tonnes. They agreed that 307,000 tonnes of semi-coke were planned, with sales from November 1 at 5,000 tugriks per bag. Reports likewise differed over middling briquettes.
Coverage:
Wildfires Cause MNT 6.5 Billion in Damage This Year
Published: 2026-09-15
Nationwide reports recorded 144 forest and steppe fires from the start of 2026 through September 14, causing about MNT 6.5 billion in damage. One person died and two were burned. The fires affected 12 gers, two houses, six winter shelters, 38 fences and sheds, four vehicles or pieces of equipment, and 1,143 head of livestock. The National Emergency Management Agency began its nationwide “Let Us Prevent and Protect-2” campaign on September 15, scheduled to run through November 10, to prevent forest and steppe fires. It urged residents, herders and transport operators to take preventive measures, warning that dry and windy conditions can make grass, forest moss and dead vegetation easy to ignite.
Coverage:
Ministry Prepares Bill to Set Minimum Livestock Tax at MNT1,000
Published: 2026-09-15
Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Ts. Iderbat said his ministry is preparing a livestock-tax bill for submission to the government, during a meeting on harvest and winter-preparedness measures chaired by Prime Minister N. Uchral. He said the proposal would affect four laws, including the Law on Animal Health, and set a minimum livestock-head tax of MNT1,000. Soum and provincial assemblies would be able to set the tax up to MNT10,000. The proposal would increase the authority and responsibility of bag, soum and provincial governors, and allow provincial governors to appoint veterinary department heads. Iderbat said appointment and financial authority would be transferred locally as part of the approach to addressing livestock disease.
“The backlash from raising the tax will probably come to the ministry, and we will bear it. That is how we will eliminate livestock diseases.” - Ts. Iderbat (ikon.mn)
Coverage:
Innovation
Japan and Mongolia Discuss SAR Satellite Technology Partnership
Published: 2026-09-15
B. Dashpurev, State Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, met representatives of Japan’s Kiso Jiban Co. and JICA to discuss adapting satellite synthetic-aperture radar technology for use in Mongolia. The technology can map the ground at high resolution and help detect and monitor mine-tailings dam wall failures, landslides, water seepage, pasture productivity, ground movement and deformation. The sides discussed a possible memorandum of understanding, but no agreement has been signed. Dashpurev said a joint working group should first define the scope, discuss practical work and clarify project financing before concluding an MOU. JICA representatives said Mongolian support would be needed to turn the cooperation proposal into an operational project.
Coverage:
Health
City Converts Three Maternity Hospitals to Specialist Facilities for Flu Season
Published: 2026-09-15
Ulaanbaatar has converted the Urguu, Amgalan and Khuree maternity hospitals into specialist facilities to treat mothers and children during influenza outbreaks, following a decision made in July. Mayor B. Purevdagva said he will visit hospitals facing difficult conditions this week, highlighting issues at Amgalan Maternity Hospital and Chingeltei District Hospital. The city plans to vaccinate 210,000 of its roughly 230,000 children aged 0-6 against influenza, covering more than 80 percent of that age group. Schools are being asked to encourage vaccination through teachers, social workers and managers. Older people, pregnant women, health workers and people with chronic illnesses can receive flu shots at nearby family or general hospitals.
Coverage:
Justice Minister Alleges Interference in Drug Cases and Calls for Action
Published: 2026-09-15
Justice and Home Affairs Minister S. Amarsaikhan alleged that drug-related cases have been suppressed from within the police and that influential figures are connected to the trade. Speaking on September 15, he said that when he took office in April, police requested more drug-detection tests because only 24 were available nationwide. He said he had ordered short- and long-term anti-drug strategies, alleging that cuts to the anti-drug budget and staffing had weakened enforcement. Amarsaikhan cited an account from a 17-year-old at a compulsory treatment center in Bayan, Tuv Province, who said 200 to 300 young people used drugs daily. The minister’s estimates and allegations were statements made at the briefing, rather than independently verified figures or findings.
“Instructions to not investigate, stop, or close drug cases are being given from within the police organization.” - S. Amarsaikhan (ikon.mn)
Coverage: