Politics
City Councilor and Party Official Detained as IAAC Probes Selbe Sub-Center Contract
Published: 2026-04-26
The Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) detained Ulaanbaatar City Council member B. Sergelenbaatar and Truth and Justice Party secretary-general Sh. Munkhsaikhan for 48 hours following a search of Sergelenbaatar’s office on the night of April 24. The two co-own Professionalstroy LLC, which won a package (4.2) of the Selbe sub-center project—an integrated 14-block, 994-apartment complex—under a contract valued at approximately MNT 223.4 billion. Some reports allege the contract was awarded without competitive selection, while other records indicate it was an open tender. Investigators are examining potential abuse of office or conflict of interest. Legal provisions cited in local reporting note no explicit ban on companies partly owned by public officials participating in tenders, leaving the inquiry focused on whether influence was exerted. Authorities have not released further details.
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Prime Minister N. Uchral outlines anti-corruption push with permit cuts, open data, and AI-led procurement
Published: 2026-04-26
Prime Minister N. Uchral used Parliament’s Q&A session to frame his agenda as a systemic anti-corruption overhaul combining deregulation, digital transparency, and devolved authority. He said 146 permit-type services were scrapped, with more functions shifting to 110 professional associations under the new Permits Law, and pledged to declassify 800+ administrative “secrecy” labels once a new State Secrets law passes. He touted blockchain-based oversight, AI-driven procurement—starting at Erdenes Mongol—and expanded open-data tools. Uchral said 12,000 frozen tax accounts were reopened, yielding MNT 42 billion in 10 days, and signaled tender-law changes and targeted mortgage support ahead, while noting a budget gap and efforts to stabilize fuel prices after talks with Russia.
“Corruption is every Mongolian’s unearned bread, unpaid salary, and unrealized dream. We will eradicate it at the root.” - Prime Minister N. Uchral (isee.mn)
“I won’t settle issues over a glass of wine or allocate tenders. I will show results through work.” - Prime Minister N. Uchral (isee.mn)
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Criminal Police Search Deputy Mayor T. Davaadalai’s Home as IAAC Probes Tuul River Expressway Tenders
Published: 2026-04-26
Mongolia’s Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) has opened a case on April 20, 2026, investigating potential abuse of office under Criminal Code Article 22.1 linked to the Tuul River expressway project. The Criminal Police Department conducted a search at the home of Ulaanbaatar Deputy Mayor T. Davaadalai and is reportedly examining his spouse’s involvement. Media reports note that Avangard Uran Design and Engineering, associated with Davaadalai’s wife, advanced to the final stage of a related tender, while another company formerly under her name allegedly received 20 billion MNT from the Tuul expressway procurement. Davaadalai is the brother of T. Munkhdalai, who heads the Ulaanbaatar Metro project, raising conflict-of-interest concerns around multiple city megaprojects. Authorities have not released detailed findings; further official information is pending. The case underscores heightened scrutiny of procurement integrity in major urban infrastructure.
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Economy
Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi Sets MNT 63,242 Payout Per Citizen Shareholder From 2025 Earnings
Published: 2026-04-26
Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi will distribute dividends from its 2025 net profit, allocating MNT 65.55 per share and a total of MNT 786.6 billion. Of this, MNT 208.5 billion is earmarked for Mongolia’s 3.5 million citizen‑shareholders, translating to a post‑tax MNT 63,242 for each person holding 1,072 shares. Dividend payments are planned by April 30, 2026. The company reported 30.3 million tonnes mined in 2025, with sales of 27.5 million tonnes, after mid‑year price lows at China’s Gantsmod port depressed revenue. It paid MNT 1.6 trillion in taxes and contributed MNT 375 billion in 2025 to the Savings Fund, totaling MNT 595 billion since the Wealth Fund law took effect.
“From July 2025, prices improved, and with the government’s three‑month special regime we worked to enhance operations across agencies, including customs.” - N. Tserensambuu, Acting Director, Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC (news.mn)
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Diplomacy
Kazakhstan Visit Yields Trade and Flight Deals; Teachers’ Pay Lifted 50% as Supreme Court Revives ‘Green Bus’ Case
Published: 2026-04-26
President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh’s state visit to Kazakhstan produced a plan to lift bilateral trade to USD 500 million by expanding Mongolia’s exports of wool, cashmere, leather, and meat and Kazakhstan’s supplies of fruit, vegetables, and wheat. A joint roadmap under the EAEU preferential trade framework and a transport working group were agreed. Direct flights will expand with SCAT launching Ulaanbaatar–Astana in June; the Ulgii–Oskemen route will be restored and a Kazakh consulate opens in Bayan-Ulgii.
“Kazakh universities remain open to Mongolian students,” - President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (news.mn)
Separately, the government will raise teachers’ salaries 50% from May 1 and fold all allowances into base pay.
“We have put a stop to the three-month salary dispute,” - Education Minister L. Enkh-Amgalan (news.mn)
The Supreme Court sent parts of the ‘Green Bus’ case back to first instance and reinstated certain abuse-of-office convictions. The capital’s MPP committee reshuffled leadership, adding M. Govsaikhan to its presidium.
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Infrastructure
Ulaanbaatar Plans April 27 Power Outages in Four Districts for Maintenance
Published: 2026-04-26
Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network JSC announced scheduled power cuts on April 27, 2026, to carry out line and equipment maintenance. Outages will run from 09:00 to 17:30 across four districts—Khan-Uul, Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar, and Nalaikh—under the utility’s April maintenance timetable. The company also released a broader, location-by-location schedule for the coming week, noting that timing may be adjusted depending on weather conditions. According to the notice, if changes occur, customers will be informed via phone numbers registered in their service contracts. Businesses and households in the affected districts should plan for daytime interruptions, with critical operations considering backup power or schedule adjustments. Detailed addresses and feeder-level information are provided by the utility in its weekly maintenance maps, and updates are expected through official channels if conditions shift.
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Feasibility and Design Tender Launched for Orkhon–Ongi Surface Water Scheme to Supply the Gobi
Published: 2026-04-26
Authorities have issued a tender for the feasibility study and engineering design of the first phase of the Orkhon–Ongi initiative, known as the Ongi–Tsagaan Burgastai project, which aims to deliver surface water to the Gobi region. The move signals early progress on a long-anticipated effort to ease chronic water scarcity, reduce pressure on fragile groundwater aquifers, and underpin broader economic development in southern provinces. The initial scope is expected to define routing, technical parameters, costs, and environmental safeguards necessary for a large-scale transfer of surface water. While the announcement underscores the program’s environmental and development rationale, details on financing, implementation timeline, and governance arrangements were not disclosed. If advanced, the project could improve reliability of municipal and industrial supplies, support ecological restoration along stressed basins, and provide a platform for subsequent investment phases across the Gobi.
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Environment
Series of earthquakes strike Khovd’s Zereg district, strongest at magnitude 5.5
Published: 2026-04-26
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck near Zereg district in Khovd Province at 12:23:22 on April 26, followed within minutes by magnitude 4.2 (12:27:34) and 3.9 (12:30:16) aftershocks. The epicenter was 26 km southeast of Zereg, around 28–40 km from Most and Tsetseg districts, and about 155 km from Khovd city. A magnitude 4.7 event occurred in the same fault zone on April 22. Preliminary macroseismic assessments indicate intensity IV–V near the epicenter, about IV in Zereg, and II–III in Khovd city (Jargalant). Residents reported stronger shaking in upper floors, with swaying mirrors and light fixtures and rattling furniture. Shaking was felt in Zereg, Manhan, Tsetseg, Most, Darvi, Chandmani, Munkhkhaikhan, and Khovd city. Authorities reported the sequence and are monitoring aftershocks; no damages were detailed in initial updates.
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‘Billion Trees Expo’ Opens with Spring Planting Season Launch in Ulaanbaatar
Published: 2026-04-26
The government opened the “Billion Trees Expo” alongside the spring tree-planting season under President U. Khurelsukh’s national initiative to restore ecosystems and curb desertification. Sh. Batbayar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, urged broad participation and emphasized public–private coordination.
“The ‘Billion Trees’ movement is a practical solution to restore ecosystems and combat desertification and land degradation, and it requires strong cooperation among the state, private sector, and citizens.” - Sh. Batbayar, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (news.mn)
Fifty companies and organizations are exhibiting 25 varieties of fruit trees and shrubs, along with seeds, fertilizers, greenhouses, equipment, and plant-protection solutions. Visitors can purchase certified seedlings and receive professional guidance. The expo runs April 25–May 15, 2026, 09:00–18:00 daily at the Central Stadium. The event offers suppliers and urban developers a focal point for sourcing climate-resilient landscaping inputs and aligning CSR efforts with Mongolia’s anti-desertification goals.
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