Politics
Published: 2026-10-31
The government withdrew a bill that would have directed 2 trillion tugrik of the state’s Oyu Tolgoi LLC dividend income to social and infrastructure projects in the 2027 budget. An economist interviewed by News.mn backed the withdrawal, citing conflicts with the Constitution and the National Wealth Fund Law, and warned that budgeting 3 trillion tugrik of Oyu Tolgoi dividends before talks with Oyu Tolgoi LLC conclude is risky.
Former First Deputy Prime Minister L. Gantomor has drafted a parliamentary resolution to pay dividends to citizens in cash and give them shares in strategic deposits. He says bot traffic has disrupted voting on the D-Parliament platform.
“If citizens still cannot vote on D-Parliament, we will use other methods such as collecting signatures.” - L. Gantomor (news.mn)
Separately, the Financial Regulatory Commission capped non-bank lenders’ interest at 4.5 percent a month from October 21.
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Presidential Assets Dispute, Alleged Assault on Lawmaker and Supreme Court Ruling Dominate the Week
Published: 2026-10-31
Former Ulaanbaatar governor Kh. Nyambaatar claimed President U. Khurelsukh owns numerous illegal properties. Ts. Ganzorig, head of the Presidential Office’s press department, rejected the claim on October 27. The president’s asset declaration lists a 58 percent stake in the travel company Ilt Khan LLC and reports 116.1 million tugrik in personal income for 2025.
On October 28, MP M. Enkhtsetseg said that after she finished a media interview at the State Palace and took out her phone to record, B. Ichinkhorloo, an assistant to Energy Minister B. Naidalaa, struck her hand. Ichinkhorloo denies touching her and says he only pressed her phone camera.
On October 29, the Supreme Court reviewed the case of a 16-year-old girl’s killing in a closed session, upholding Ts. Dagvadorj’s life sentence and overturning two acquittals.
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Economy
Task Force Investigates Oyu Tolgoi Underground Rock Fall That Exposed 15 Workers
Published: 2026-10-31
A tremor at 18:00 on October 29 triggered a rock fall in the +1300 extraction-level drift of Oyu Tolgoi LLC’s underground mine in Khanbogd soum, Umnugovi Province, exposing 15 workers. Rescue teams evacuated all underground workers and provided emergency care. In an October 30 statement, Oyu Tolgoi LLC said two workers are receiving hospital care in Ulaanbaatar with non-life-threatening injuries, while 13 have left medical monitoring. A preliminary inspection found no impact outside the rock-fall zone, and the company is preparing to begin underground operations under supervision. The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources set up a working group with the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority to determine the cause.
“The most valuable asset of the mining sector is its miners.” - Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (isee.mn)
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Oyu Tolgoi Concentrate Exports Fall 70% After Border Convoy Limits
Published: 2026-10-31
Copper concentrate exports from Oyu Tolgoi fell 70% after restrictions were placed on the return crossing from Gants Mod toward Gashuunsukhait starting October 15. Convoys allowed through each day dropped from 13 to 4, for reasons that remain unclear. Oyu Tolgoi has lost $300 million in export opportunity over the past 14 days. The Chinese side has not explained why it reduced cross-border shipments, and it is unclear how long the situation will last. Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan told the press that port maintenance on the Chinese side began in August and runs through October 31. If conditions do not improve by year-end, Oyu Tolgoi risks losing $1.2 billion in export opportunity. Separately, a rock fall at its underground mine on Thursday exposed 15 workers.
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Night-Time Electricity Discount for Ger-District Households Starts November 1
Published: 2026-10-31
Ger-district households with no outstanding electricity payment balance will receive a night-time tariff discount starting November 1, 2026. The discount covers ger-district households connected at 220V and 380V voltage levels in Ulaanbaatar, provincial centers, and soums and settlements with populations above 10,000. Eligible consumption is electricity used between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., up to 1,500 kWh. Usage above 1,500 kWh will not receive the discount. The discount runs from November 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, a period of five months. In short, the discount is for ger-district households with no outstanding electricity payment balance, covers night-time use between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. up to 1,500 kWh, and applies in the listed locations at the 220V and 380V levels.
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Euro-92 Fuel From China Goes on Sale in Ulaanbaatar at 5,600 Tugrug a Liter
Published: 2026-10-31
Euro-92 fuel imported from China has gone on sale in Ulaanbaatar at 5,600 tugrug per liter, according to an official source cited by tug.mn. The source said shipments of Euro-92 ordered from China have started arriving, and the fuel is being sold at a market-based price of 5,600 tugrug per liter. The source also said the price of standard 92 fuel will not be raised. The report did not name the official source, the importer or retailers, give the volume of fuel arriving, or state the current price of standard 92. It also did not explain how the market-based price was set or say how long the Euro-92 shipments would continue.
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Rail Stations Receive 11,299 Tonnes of Fuel in 24 Hours
Published: 2026-10-31
Rail stations received 11,299 tonnes of fuel in 182 tank cars between 08:00 on October 29 and 08:00 on October 30, the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority reported. Diesel made up most of the volume at 10,222 tonnes in 164 tank cars, followed by AI-92 gasoline at 893 tonnes in 15 cars and TS-1 at 184 tonnes in 3 cars. Tolgoit station handled the largest share with 9,023 tonnes in 145 tank cars, including 8,009 tonnes of diesel, 830 tonnes of AI-92 and all the TS-1. Other deliveries were 780 tonnes at Tsogttsetsii, 755 tonnes at Sainshand, 383 tonnes at Sukhbaatar, 245 tonnes at Darkhan-2 and 113 tonnes at Tavantolgoi, mostly diesel.
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Infrastructure
Ulaanbaatar to Heat About 14,500 Buildings This Season, With New Connections Paused Until March
Published: 2026-10-31
Ulaanbaatar Heating Network, a state-owned joint-stock company, said about 14,500 buildings in the capital will receive heat in the 2026-2027 heating season. Separately, 266 buildings and facilities have obtained technical conditions, the formal requirements for newly connecting to centralized heat supply. Winter peak-load operating mode has begun to apply across energy systems. As a result, no switching operations or new connections will be made to the unified network or the centralized heating system from November 1 until March 1, 2027. Buildings awaiting connection face a pause until that date. In the 2025-2026 heating season, about 14,000 buildings and facilities across the capital were connected to centralized heating.
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Darkhan Power Plant Restores Operations at 30 MW After Full Shutdown
Published: 2026-10-31
A fault at the Darkhan Thermal Power Plant halted all operations at 21:00 on October 29, the Ministry of Energy reported. Responding agencies isolated the damaged equipment, drew voltage from the central region’s power system and restored operations. Four boilers and three units are now running normally at 30 MW. Officials preliminarily link the failure to the plant’s age and to some equipment having passed its technical service life. The plant has operated continuously since 1965, now in its 61st year, and distributes electricity to about 60,000 consumers across 26 soums in Darkhan-Uul, Selenge and Tov provinces.
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Environment
Snow Forecast for Ulaanbaatar, With Snowstorms Expected in Several Provinces
Published: 2026-10-31
Snow was forecast for Ulaanbaatar in the daytime on October 31, some forecasts calling it light, with daytime temperatures of 0 to +2°C and winds of 6-11 meters per second. Overnight lows were forecast at -5 to -7°C, falling to -9 to -11°C around Yarmag and Songino. Baganuur was forecast at +1 to +3°C and Terelj 0 to -2°C. 0-5 mm of snow and snowstorms were forecast across parts of Zavkhan, Khuvsgul, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Tuv, Khentii, Selenge, Govi-Altai, Uvurkhangai and Dundgovi. Winds briefly reaching 18-20 meters per second and dust storms were forecast for the Altai mountains, Gobi and steppe areas. Snow is forecast to continue in places from November 1 to 4. Another forecast showed Ulaanbaatar clearing with no snow on November 1: lows of -9 to -11°C in most of the city, -13 to -15°C around Yarmag and Songino, and daytime temperatures near 0°C.
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