May 13, 2025 82 min read Daily News Summaries

Mongolia News Summary for May 13, 2025

The following news articles are the opinions of their authors and publications. They are presented here as translations for informational purposes and do not necessarily represent the opinion of MongolBeat or its members.

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Politics

Avoiding Mega Project Implementation and Starting to Politicize the Budget

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

A draft law to increase the use and efficiency of foreign loans has been proposed by more than 40 members of parliament. Foreign loans refer to financial instruments such as foreign debt and securities intended to implement development projects and activities, as stipulated in Articles 4.1.2 and 4.1.15 of the Law on Debt Management. The reason the members initiated this draft law is related to information from the Ministry of Finance, which, during the sub-working group's review of foreign loans and investment, indicated that key projects such as the Oil Refinery and Erdeneburen Hydroelectric Power Plant could take over a decade to finish if continued at the current pace. Meanwhile, by including annual funding for these projects in the state budget, Mongolia continues paying interest on unused loans for another decade without completing the projects, which is considered an intolerable and wasteful expense. The three main projects implemented with foreign loans—the Oil Refinery, Erdeneburen Hydropower Plant, and the Selbe Sub-Center Ger District Housing Project—were highlighted due to the large amount of unused approved foreign debt, totaling 12.6 trillion MNT. Despite the government and parliament celebrating the passage of a balanced budget, only 1.5 trillion MNT of this loan is scheduled for use. With only 1.2-1.5 trillion MNT per year utilisable, the unused portion incurs interest payments, essentially meaning we are paying for money sitting in the bank. The spending cap remains at 5.1 trillion MNT. For example, this year’s budget allocates only 250 billion MNT to the oil refinery and 70 billion MNT to the Erdeneburen Hydropower Plant, while the total cost for the latter is 865 billion MNT. The oil refinery’s overall budget is 5.8 trillion MNT (of which 1 trillion MNT has already been used), with another 8.8 trillion MNT to be used over the next decade. The Erdeneburen project is budgeted at 300 million USD (about 865 billion MNT), set by contract to be operational by 2028, but actual disbursement is much less, suggesting a mismatch in planning and budget allocation. Such misallocation of funds erodes the projects' ability to repay loans through their own operating profit and delays completion. The projects referenced in the draft law are those approved by parliament for loans, are part of the government's 2024-2028 program, belong to a list of 14 mega projects, and are intended to replace imports and increase national security. For example, the oil refinery would reduce annual oil imports by at least 1 billion USD, cutting the current 2 billion USD expenditure by half. The Erdeneburen project would enable the western region to cover 100 percent of its energy needs domestically. The Selbe sub-center housing project is intended to reduce pollution and traffic congestion and recover costs through its own revenue. Therefore, the initiative proposes exempting these three projects from annual budget spending caps and financing them quickly to ensure prompt operation and loan repayment via project income, which is considered the optimal solution. From 1990 to 2014, Mongolia avoided mega project implementation and began to politicize budget planning. Recently, the problem is that by prolonging loan disbursement for these major import-substituting projects and limiting them under yearly spending caps, both the project benefits are delayed and total project costs increase (with taxpayers continuing to pay interest for unused funds). This has led experts to suspect a deliberate tactic by certain parties to keep projects stalled. Two-thirds of MPs have signed and supported this draft law. Previously, projects and programs were funded via highly concessional loans for projects which could not cover their costs, but now that Mongolia is considered an upper-middle income country as of 2024, it no longer qualifies for such loans. Of the 21.7 trillion MNT in foreign loan agreements approved by parliament, 16.4 trillion MNT have already been spent, mostly on power plants, railways, roads, infrastructure, and other sectors, with some funds still unused due to budgetary caps not aligned with project timelines. Instead of seeking a budget amendment, MPs are looking for ways to utilize the existing 12.6 trillion MNT in foreign loans more effectively without increasing debt ceilings or taking additional loans. For these mega projects, the current cap of 1.5 trillion MNT per year is insufficient, as for instance, the oil refinery needs 1.8 trillion MNT worth of work in 2025, but is only allocated 1.6 trillion MNT. Similarly, the Erdeneburen project requires 160 billion MNT, but is only allocated 70 billion. Delays mean project costs keep increasing, and interest is still paid on both used and unused loans. For instance, the oil refinery project was initially budgeted at 1 billion USD, then 1.2 billion, later 1.7 billion, and now stands at 2.1 trillion MNT. With costs rising through sequential yearly budgeting and interest accrual, the projects could extend another decade and become even more expensive, which is a systemic flaw according to the bill's initiators. They argue that for such productive, import-substituting projects, the applicable funding law should facilitate quick completion and loan repayment, rather than serve as a means to delay projects for vested interests. Two-thirds of parliamentarians support this legislative change.

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O.Tsogtgerel: The Government's Planned Tax Law Reforms Are Gradually Disappearing

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The Democratic Party caucus in the State Great Khural (Parliament) convened and received information on the draft resolution of the "2026 Development Plan of Mongolia," the statement on the 2026 budget framework of Mongolia's unified budget, the draft law on the budget projections for 2027-2028, and other draft resolutions submitted together. In this regard, O. Tsogtgerel, the leader of the Democratic Party caucus, said: "Policy documents are prepared based on the principle that Mongolia's budget should be unified. Recently, discussions on the capital city's budget have reached several trillion tugriks, almost matching the state budget. State-owned companies disburse money outside the budget, making arbitrary decisions under the guise of projects and programs. Two weeks ago, a harmful provision allowing off-budget bartering—which undermines the country's budget and financial system—was introduced. At the end of last autumn's session, there were high expectations for comprehensive tax law reforms. However, the government's draft of the comprehensive tax law reform, which was supposed to be submitted, is slowly fading away. If the '2026 Development Plan of Mongolia' is discussed and approved this week, it means taxes in our country will not be reduced next year. This is because, starting this week, the statement on the 2026 unified budget framework of Mongolia will shape next year’s financial and tax environment. Within this scope, the 2026 budget will be submitted to parliament in August 2026." Additionally, Member of Parliament B. Jargalan stated: "Compared to when last autumn's budget was approved, the economic and international environment has changed. Therefore, the submission of such important policy documents to parliament provides an opportunity to review and amend short- and medium-term development plans for the coming years. The 2026 Development Plan of Mongolia was developed and submitted by the Ministry of Economy and Development. The plan presented today appears to be consistent with the Democratic Party's ideology. Firstly, it aims for a reform of budget expenditures. As part of this, there is a policy to reduce current expenditures to below 24% of GDP. Thus, the goal of reforming civil service has been set. It was often mentioned that the more than 230,000 public servants have increased current expenditures. The 2026 Development Plan of Mongolia includes an objective to reduce the number of public administration employees by 9%. Our members have also raised concerns about the over-expansion and cost issues of state-owned enterprises." Warning: Media outlets (Television, Radio, Social Media, and Websites) are prohibited from using our content, in whole or in part, in any form, and may only use the content by referencing the source (ikon.mn) with prior agreement.

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BREAKING: Z.Sanjdorj sentenced to 9.6 years, D.Byambajav to 9 years in prison for treason and collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

The court hearing on the case involving Z. Sanjdorj and D. Byambajav, who were accused of treason and collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency, was held at the Criminal Court of First Instance for Bayanzurkh, Chingeltei, and Sukhbaatar districts. The court panel recently announced its decision. Specifically, Z. Sanjdorj was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison, and D. Byambajav was sentenced to 9 years in prison for the crime of treason and collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency. The court decided that they will serve their sentences in an open prison facility. It is noteworthy that the case related to Z. Sanjdorj and his associates was investigated by the General Intelligence Agency, and subsequently, they were charged under Article 19.4.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law. According to Article 19.4.1 of the Criminal Code (Collaborating illegally with a foreign intelligence service, organization, or citizen), "If a citizen of Mongolia agrees to cooperate, or has cooperated, with the intelligence agencies of a foreign country, or steals, collects, stores, or transmits state secrets or related documents, items, with the intent of handing them over to a foreign organization or citizen, they shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period ranging from eight to fifteen years."

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Pension Reform Is One of the Government's Top Policy Priorities

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

Minister of Family, Labour, and Social Protection L. Enkh-Amgalan met with Alberto Rodriguez, the World Bank's Director for Human Development in the Asia-Pacific region, to exchange ideas regarding cooperation in the social protection sector. During the meeting, Minister Enkh-Amgalan presented the government's 2024-2028 targeted reforms and projects for a family-based social protection policy. The Minister stated, "Joint projects with the World Bank on short-term skills training and promoting employment have been implemented successfully. Going forward, we plan to integrate educational, health, and social protection policy concepts, and to carry out systematic reforms based on a unified labor market information database." He further emphasized that one of the Mongolian government's top policy priorities is pension reform. When introducing a new private supplementary pension system in Mongolia, the reforms aim to be voluntary, contribution-based, fully funded, transparent, financially stable, independent, reliable, provide tax incentives and exemptions, and allow for inheritability. The government is seeking World Bank policy recommendations on the economic calculations required for the transition from the current distribution-based system to a partially funded pension scheme. On the other hand, Minister Enkh-Amgalan pointed out that the Mongolian government should prioritize major human development projects not only in infrastructure, but also in health, education, and social protection. Other countries' good practices in pension and welfare systems were also introduced. The sides agreed to collaborate on reforms, and technical assistance will be provided to improve citizens' skills in labor market policies.

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It is Appropriate for Articles 6.5, 6.8, and 11.4 to Remain in the Law on Freedom of the Press

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

The revised draft of the Law on Freedom of the Press, along with related proposals, is currently being discussed by the plenary session of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia. Therefore, we interviewed lawyer and researcher L. Galbaatar regarding this draft law. There has been significant debate and various perspectives on the revised draft of the law on social media and during meetings of professional organizations. How do you view this situation? The recently discussed revised draft of the Law on Freedom of the Press in the State Great Khural has generated considerable controversy among the public, with some representatives and experts in the media industry voicing criticism. However, I personally support this draft law as an important step in ensuring genuine press freedom in Mongolia, protecting journalists’ rights, and strengthening the independence and autonomy of the media sector. Contrary to the criticisms, the draft law does not include regulations that restrict press freedom or worsen the current situation. On the contrary, it includes specific provisions aimed at ensuring freedom of expression and publication as guaranteed in the Constitution of Mongolia, and at fostering a pluralistic and free media environment. Besides attempting to legislate principles of journalistic activity, some in the media industry disagree with certain provisions in the draft, specifically articles 6.5, 6.8, and 11.4. Can you comment? Article 6.5 of the draft law provides that state bodies, and legal entities owned by the state or local authorities, must select media organizations through procedures defined by law and contract with them if they wish to promote their activities. All the organizations mentioned here currently cooperate with media organizations, but they choose which media to work with, often based on long-standing relationships. However, the budgets of these organizations are not private funds; they are taxpayers’ money. Therefore, this money cannot be spent arbitrarily. Media organizations interested in working with such state or municipal entities should have the opportunity to cooperate, and ideally, more media organizations should be included in such cooperation through funding. In short, at present, expenses for cooperation with three newspapers or websites may go only to familiar, long-term partners. This poses the risk of economic censorship. Specifically, contracts made may not be for work or service but simply for compliance. For example, if a company makes contracts worth 30-50 million MNT per year with the same organization for three consecutive years, it risks becoming economically dependent. Therefore, selection procedures outlined in article 6.5 are appropriate. These provisions ensure that state organizations and state- and locally-owned companies act impartially, not tied to political parties or interests, and allow all media organizations to participate on an equal footing. For instance, just because an organization’s head is from the MPP, it would not be right to allow only pro-party media to access opportunities without any screening. If this provision is implemented, there will be no negative consequences—although organizations that have had long-term exclusive partnerships may find it uncomfortable. For example, in Erdenet SOE, funding to inform the media and public is substantial, but the total amount is currently secret. If selection procedures are put in place, those organizations that previously partnered might miss out. However, this will create equal opportunities elsewhere. The point is to spend taxpayers’ money with oversight and distribute it fairly. As industry representatives say, there is nothing undermining the interests of media organizations. Article 6.8 states that there will be media organizations specifically intended to disseminate and promote official information about Mongolia abroad. Although not specified, this refers to MONTSAME, which has a role focused more on foreign relations and promoting Mongolia internationally. This means it cannot compete on equal terms with other domestic media outlets, since its main tasks are defined. Whether it should operate as an agency under the President or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is up for discussion by legislators. If article 6.8 is deemed unnecessary and removed from the draft, MONTSAME would cease to exist. The question arises as to how MONTSAME's presence may negatively impact other media organizations—does it compete with them, or not? As far as I know, many countries have official media outlets tasked with spreading and promoting official information abroad, so this provision was included as acceptance of such a concept. If this provision is considered incorrect, then there would be no legal basis for MONTSAME, and its duties might be transferred under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This provision does not infringe on the interests of other media organizations. Article 11.4 stipulates that media organizations must clearly indicate whether articles or broadcasts made in accordance with article 6.5 were paid or sponsored content, and state the name of the sponsor or client. There are contents that appear to be interviews or profiles but are clearly sponsored or ordered. Therefore, this provision requires that paid content always be labeled as such. This is an existing principle of media ethics and is beneficial for the public’s right to know. If paid content is presented as organic, unpaid programs, this deceives viewers and listeners. With proper labeling, citizens can receive factual information and analyze and evaluate it appropriately. What are the advantages and positive changes introduced by the revised draft of the Law on Freedom of the Press? This draft law has many progressive features. For example: Clear guarantees of press freedom are established: Article 1 specifies that the purpose of the law is to guarantee freedom of expression and publication as prescribed in the Constitution of Mongolia, ensuring the independence and autonomy of the press, and fostering a pluralistic, free media environment. This reinforces fundamental principles for protecting press freedom. Protects journalists’ right to maintain source confidentiality: The law explicitly prohibits compelling or coercing journalists to reveal their sources, creating the conditions for journalists to freely obtain and deliver information, which is crucial for the development of investigative journalism. Supports industry self-regulation: Chapter Five provides for the establishment of a self-regulatory institution for the media sector, ensuring its independence and the adoption of professional ethical standards—an important step towards strengthening internal democracy and accountability mechanisms. This will positively influence journalism based on professional ethics, independent of foreign influence. Prohibits all types of censorship: The law prohibits state bodies, officials, media owners, and investors from controlling or censoring media operations, providing a key guarantee of press freedom. Of course, any draft law can be further improved and refined during debate. However, the fundamental concepts and main regulations included in this draft law aim to address many of the challenges facing the Mongolian media sector and to improve the legal environment. Freedom of the press is one of the pillars of democracy. Passing this draft law in the State Great Khural would be a significant step for Mongolia in fulfilling its international obligations to ensure and safeguard press freedom. Therefore, I urge members of parliament to support this draft law and make a valuable contribution to the development of Mongolian journalism. The media law passed in 1998 was undoubtedly an important step for guaranteeing press freedom in Mongolia at the time. However, in the intervening years, rapid technological advancement and social changes have fundamentally transformed the media environment.

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The MPP Group Meeting Heard a Preliminary Introduction on the Draft Revised Law on the Development Bank

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The regular meeting of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP) group in the State Great Khural heard a preliminary introduction of the draft revised Law on the Development Bank of Mongolia before it is formally submitted. The working group presented that the draft law includes detailed regulations aimed at improving the activities, duties and responsibilities, and governance of the Development Bank, as well as addressing the issues of non-performing loans and supporting export-oriented projects. In addition, Member of Parliament O. Batnairamdal provided an update on the issue concerning the special license of "Ontre" LLC related to the Oyu Tolgoi group deposit. Notice: Media organizations (TV, radio, social media, and websites) are prohibited from fully or partially using our information in any form, except by agreement and by citing the source (ikon.mn).

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Our State's Maniac Policy!

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

There are three bad pieces of news in Mongolia. The bad news is that the robbery of private property without legal or judicial process is intensifying in Mongolia. What’s worse is that we have not yet hit rock bottom. The worst is that the Venezuelan collapse has already become real in Mongolia. Venezuela’s collapse has continued for more than 10 years, and as of 2024, 91% of its population lives in poverty and 67% live in extreme poverty. Their suffering began with Hugo Chavez’s policy to eliminate the gap between rich and poor and to distribute natural wealth equally. By nationalizing the main economic sectors and confiscating the assets of foreign and domestic investors, investment declined and there was a shortage of foreign currency. The main culprits and main victims of the collapse were the citizens themselves. The country’s brains had long left the country, while the citizens who believed in “Venezuela will win” now live lives of misery. Venezuela was a bitter example that having resources does not always mean development. By saying “was,” I mean our country is quickly following in its footsteps. 1. The operation to confiscate feudal property started in Mongolia in 2016, after the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) came to power. In June 2016, before the elections, Russia’s "Rostec" company announced it had decided to sell its 49% share in the Erdenet Mining Corporation to the Mongolian government. They also warned that if the purchase agreement was not made within two weeks, it would be sold to Chinese or Kazakhstani companies. Thus, under the decision of Prime Minister Ch. Saikhanbileg’s government, Erdenebileg’s team entered negotiations and brought the Russians’ 49% stake in Erdenet back to Mongolia. Unfortunately, if they had known what trouble would follow, neither party might have risked it for themselves. Because of this, one lost his political career, the other his business career. Bringing the Erdenet’s 49% stake from the Russians only triggered a huge political and economic battle among various groups. Ts. Nyamdorj fought “until his last shirt was torn,” while Ts. Davaasuren became a national hero rather than one of the worst 10 capitalists. Eventually, when M. Enkhbold was Speaker and J. Erdenebat was Prime Minister, Parliament decided to take back the 49% brought by "owner" D. Erdenebileg from Russia. At the time, Ts. Nyamdorj said, “Now Erdenet is 100% the people’s property,” which sounded aimed at the people, but really was aimed at the MPP politicians. Erdenet has always been under the control and ownership of the party in power, especially the MPP. Ts. Nyamdorj even helped his son secure a 2.5 billion contract, boasting to the press that it was “a father’s duty”—a fact. Because of Erdenet’s 49%, the mega-projects financed by Khaan Bank stopped and national companies had their property looted by the government. After that, the move to nationalize the Salkhit silver deposit was carried out personally by then Speaker of Parliament G. Zandanshatar. As a result, news spread that the mine was forced to declare bankruptcy. Sh. Mungunshagai, the former license holder, claims with evidence that former President Kh. Battulga and former Speaker G. Zandanshatar both profited quite a lot from this expropriation. 2. Based on the Norwegian model, Mongolia established a Natural Wealth Fund and parliament decided that the state would own 34% of strategic deposits for free. Seven of the 16 so-called strategic deposits are state-owned. The rest are owned by foreign and domestic investors. In addition, the Chief of Cabinet Secretariat announced that there are another 39 deposits to add to the strategic list. The government assigned J. Batzandan to confiscate 34% of private holdings in strategic deposits. He took on the persona of a "red revolutionary," threatening companies like MAK and MCS, saying if they did not hand over 34% of their mines, their assets would be confiscated and given to another company; this speech was broadcast live by the media. Any sane foreign investor watching J. Batzandan’s speech would see investing in Mongolia as madness. The masses, the “Mongolia will win” group, who cheered for taking Erdenebileg’s assets or confiscating Salkhit, also loudly supported J. Batzandan’s call to seize MAK and MCS assets. Few understand J. Batzandan will not pay them their salaries, pensions, or benefits. To foreigners, we look obviously like Venezuelans who, by believing in Hugo Chavez, drove out investors and lived off what was left. Under the news that J. Odjargal said, “We’ve already given 94% of Tavantolgoi to the state, so we can’t give another share from Ukhaa Khudag,” there was an outpour of online insults. What a situation… 3. Not to be outdone by J. Batzandan, another person has been embodying the persona of a green-capped revolutionary: the city governor Kh. Nyambaatar. Just half a year ago, he was pleading for votes, but now he’s become a “Nyangar on the mountain” (i.e., arrogant), for which we, the citizens, are to blame. Ulaanbaatar citizens are getting what they voted for. Under the guise of eliminating city traffic, he’s turned car plate numbers into a tool for corruption. Whereas getting a new license plate in Ulaanbaatar used to cost 30,000 tugriks, now the bribe has risen to three million. Yet the traffic congestion is exactly the same. The victims of this decision are, once again, the ordinary people. A country’s city includes both good and bad, beautiful and ugly. If you want the world’s cleanest and most open city, Pyongyang is the example. Many households running small kiosks (TÜTs) are losing their livelihoods. Citizens losing income means the country falls further into poverty. As poverty expands, the city's suffering and problems only increase. Ulaanbaatar will become a den of crime. Having been the Minister of Justice, Kh. Nyambaatar should have foresight for this—unless he’s a maniac. Statistics show that crime in 2024 increased by 41% compared to the previous year, which is tragic. The mayor’s expropriations haven’t stopped at kiosks. He has announced he will demolish and seize the ground-floor expansions of businesses. Moreover, now private sector assets are being looted without any legal or judicial process. The illegal and forceful demolition of a privately-owned building next to the old Lenin Club, just south of Sukhbaatar Square, is a clear example of our state’s policy becoming maniacal. It seems our society and Mongolians themselves are masochists. They take pleasure in being violated and stay utterly silent!

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Citizens Demanding the Prime Minister's Son to Prove His Income, but the Democratic Party Faction in the Coalition Government Remains Silent

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

Today, the Democratic Party faction in the State Great Khural held a meeting to discuss four issues: the draft resolution on approving Mongolia's development plan for 2026, the consolidated state budget framework statement for 2026 and draft law on budget projections for 2027-2028 and the accompanying draft resolution, the updated draft law on the Development Bank of Mongolia, and a briefing on the draft program of the Democratic Party. During the briefing introducing the decisions made at this meeting, the issue involving the Prime Minister's child, which emerged on social media over the past weekend, was raised. Journalist: The Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene's family’s luxury lifestyle has been causing a buzz on social media in the past three days. Is the Democratic Party, as the opposition, going to do anything to ensure he proves and checks his income? Democratic Party faction leader O. Tsogtgerel: You are asking about Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene's family’s luxury lifestyle. I have seen certain information from social media. According to current laws and regulations in Mongolia, all high-ranking government officials declare their assets and income for many years. All these have to be corroborated according to the declared income level. Furthermore, these matters are under public scrutiny. Journalist: Your party keeps saying that this government is not functioning and is introducing problematic draft laws. As the opposition, why is your party not leaving the government? Is your party staying just so L. Oyun-Erdene can continue to rule until 2050? Democratic Party General Secretary N. Ganibal: Parties have signed an agreement to work together in the government. It hasn’t been a year yet. Major economic changes have occurred in countries around the world. We are facing a difficult geopolitical environment. During this period, it’s right to unite and resolve issues that can be solved together. We are not only pointing out the negatives but also trying to address matters from a positive angle. Soon, an evaluation meeting of the working group on the tri-party coalition agreement will take place. Specific proposals are expected to come out of that. Notice: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social, and Web portals) are prohibited from using our information in any form, in whole or in part, unless agreed in advance and only with appropriate citation of the source (ikon.mn).

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VIDEO: The case of Garid, son of the late UBTZ director D. Jigjidnyamaa, who changed the form of his bribe money and purchased a six-story hotel, has been transferred to court

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

Previously, we reported that the case related to the late director of Ulaanbaatar Railway (UBTZ) D. Jigjidnyamaa, who passed away due to illness in July 2021, was dismissed, and that his son, J. Garid, was charged but the case was returned from the court to the prosecutor. Now, the investigation into this case has been completed, and a request for indictment has been made before the court. Specifically, citizen J. Garid, in collusion with certain officials of the Mongolian-Russian joint venture Ulaanbaatar Railway, through a company directly controlled by himself, signed a cooperation agreement to transport luggage wagons in international and domestic routes via Ulaanbaatar Railway. With the aim of concealing the illegal source of 600,000 USD, which was the income of this company, he transferred the funds to the account of a company he established abroad and subsequently purchased a service facility and land in Ulaanbaatar city—thereby being implicated in money laundering. Therefore, the prosecutor has drawn up an indictment against him under Article 22.1, Section 1 (Abuse of power or official position) and Article 18.6, Section 1 (Money laundering) of the Criminal Code, and transferred the case to the Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Songinokhairkhan district Primary Criminal Courts.

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Economy

The 20 Percent Fee on Income from Contract Work Will Be Stopped

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

On Friday, Member of Parliament B.Tuvshin and 41 other MPs submitted a draft law to amend the Social Insurance Law to the Speaker of the State Great Khural. The initiators of the law emphasized that it contains important regulations to increase jobs, boost citizens' real income, and support employers during these challenging economic times. Specifically, it is stipulated to remove from mandatory social insurance those who perform work or services under civil contracts, irrespective of the form of ownership, and to exclude income from such contracts from the basis for social insurance contribution calculations. Also, any cash benefits given by employers to employees for meals, transportation, housing usage, fuel, or coal will be excluded from both the salary and the base for social insurance contributions. Furthermore, the maximum monthly salary and similar income on which employers pay social insurance premiums will be set as ten times the minimum monthly wage currently in force, just like for regular employees. Member of Parliament O.Nomintseg emphasized, “The primary idea of this law is to increase employment. Currently, the labor force participation rate is only 67 percent. Yet, there is a potential to include another 100,000 people in the labor market. There is often talk of a labor shortage. After sending 40,000 people to South Korea, we are now considering bringing in foreign labor, which is not a sound state policy. To increase our available workforce by 100,000, it is crucial to create a favorable working environment and improve salary and skills, as well as expand our domestic market, and this law plays an important role in that.” MP P.Ganzorig added, "The private sector operates under extreme conditions with heavy interest and tax burdens. Over the past three years, the taxes paid by the private sector to the state have tripled. The tax debt of businesses has risen from 1.2 trillion to 4 trillion MNT. The state collects these taxes by seizing bank accounts. Three years ago, about 2,000 accounts were seized, but according to 2024 statistics, the government has seized about 22,000 accounts. This indicates the serious tax pressure facing the private sector. Reaching the point where accounts are seized to pay taxes means there is a cash flow crisis. If the private sector becomes unable to pay taxes in this way, many companies will go bankrupt and close down,” he stated.

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Consumer Goods and Services Prices in Ulaanbaatar Increased by 9.8% Compared to 2024

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Consumer goods and services prices nationwide in April 2025 rose by 8.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Food prices increased by 6.8%, non-food goods prices by 9.4%, other goods by 6%, and services by 17%. Prices for meat and meat products increased by 13.7% over the same period in 2024: the price of beef rose by 13.2%, horse meat by 2.5%, sheep and goat meat by 17.1%. The price of the bread, flour, and rice category increased by 3.9%, with bread and pastry prices rising by 5.9% and noodle prices by 19.3%. In Ulaanbaatar, the price of consumer goods and services increased by 9.8% from the same period in 2024. In the city's inflation, prices of imported goods (excluding gasoline and fuel) contributed 2.6 percentage points, and prices of domestic goods (excluding meat and solid fuels) contributed 6.1 percentage points. The average price of 1 kg of boneless beef sold in April this year was 22,929 tugriks, which is 21.7% higher than April 2023 and 14.1% higher than April 2024. The average price for 1st-grade flour in April this year was 2,229 tugriks, which is 1% lower than April 2023 and 9.1% lower than April 2024. The average price for one liter of AI-92 gasoline in April 2025 was 2,390 tugriks, unchanged since April 2023. Nationwide inflation was influenced by the price of imported goods (excluding gasoline and fuel) by 2.6 percentage points, and domestic goods (excluding meat and solid fuels) by 5 percentage points. The inflation rate, i.e., the change in consumer goods and services prices, was 5.7% in April 2024. In April 2025, it reached 8.6%, rising by 2.9 percentage points from the same period last year. The price of consumer goods and services rose by 8.6% compared to the same period in 2024 due to a 6.9% increase in the prices of food, beverage, and water (non-alcoholic beverages subcategory by 10.5%), clothing, textiles, and footwear by 9.1%, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels by 21.7%, household furniture and goods by 6.5%, hotel, public catering, and dormitory services by 16.7%, and education services by 18.2%. In the western region, the group of goods increased by 6.9%; in the central region, the price of food groups increased by 7.9%; in Ulaanbaatar, the price of the services group rose by 18.4% and non-food groups by 10.9%, which are the highest increases. Across all provinces, consumer goods and services prices in April 2024 increased by 4.0% to 15.3% compared to the same period last year. The lowest increase was in Bulgan province at 4%, while the highest was in Khovd province at 15.3%. To improve the representativeness and accuracy of the consumer price index basket, the basket and weights are updated once every three years. In Ulaanbaatar, the consumer goods and services basket is made up of 418 items (333 items for the provinces), with weights calculated based on the 2023 results of the Household socio-economic survey, using the average prices of 2023 as the base, and disseminated since February 2025. When calculating the average price in the provinces, price information from 112 selected soums is included. Prices of major goods are collected monthly from soums, provinces, districts, and the capital, according to the National Statistics Office.

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Domestic Trade Sales Revenue Reached 14.1 Trillion MNT in the First Quarter

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Domestic trade sales revenue reached 14.1 trillion MNT in the first quarter of 2025. This figure is 54 billion MNT higher than the same period in 2024. Of the sector's sales revenue, 23.5 percent came from food products, while 76.5 percent came from non-food product sales. Food product sales in the first quarter reached 3.3 trillion MNT, an increase of 335.3 billion MNT compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, sales of non-food products amounted to 10.8 trillion MNT, a decrease of 281.3 billion MNT compared to the same period in 2024. The decline in non-food product sales was influenced by a reduction of 117.2 billion MNT in wholesale trade based on payment or contract and a decrease of 58.8 billion MNT in the retail trade of specialized stores selling medicines, cosmetics, and sanitary goods. In the first quarter, 42.9 percent of domestic trade sales revenue came from wholesale trade, while 57.1 percent came from the retail trade sector.

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G.Enkhbat: The Asia Securities Forum is a Strategic Window to Attract Investors

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

In connection with Mongolia earning the right to host the Asia Securities Forum in Ulaanbaatar for the first time, we spoke with G. Enkhbat, Chairman of the Board of the Mongolian Association of Securities Dealers. - Let's begin our conversation by discussing the Asia Securities Forum and its operations. The Asia Securities Forum (ASF) was first held in 1995 and aims to develop the capital and securities markets in the Asian region, to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation. In other words, ASF is a major event that plays a crucial role in aligning regional capital markets and exchange regulations, boosting investor confidence, and bringing emerging markets closer to international standards. - Which countries and organizations in the Asia-Pacific region are members? ASF brings together more than 20 countries’ regulatory agencies, securities exchanges, and associations, such as Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, India, Australia, Russia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, and others. Notable members include the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA), the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA), Securities Association of Singapore (SAS), Securities Association of China (SAC), among more than 30 prestigious organizations. These 30 organizations and associations each have networks comprising hundreds of key players in Asian investment funds, banks, securities companies, and other financial sectors. “Often, the financial markets represented by ASF member organizations account for 80-90% of the total Asian market.” - Does this mean that the entire Asian investment network is effectively included? Yes, your understanding is correct. The financial markets represented by ASF members account for 80-90% of the entirety of the Asian market. For example, the main member, the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA), brings together 480 leading companies, including world-renowned firms such as Nomura Securities Co. Ltd., Daiwa Securities Group Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd., and Rakuten Securities Inc. In 2024 alone, the amount of OTC (over-the-counter) bond trading reached ¥45.278 trillion (USD 316.2 billion). The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), for example, brings together 1,100 global organizations, including Guotai Junan International, CLSA (Citic Securities), CICC, Haitong Securities, ICBC, Bank of China, China Merchants Securities (HK), Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch Far East Limited, and so on. The total trading volume of this exchange in 2023 reached HKD 108.0 trillion, or USD 13.9 trillion. - Could you briefly introduce the main activities and directions of ASF? ASF organizes three main activities in the Asia-Pacific region. First, the General Assembly takes place every fall to exchange information on the current state and key developments in regional markets. Second, the Tokyo Roundtable was launched in 2006 and acts as a key platform for seminars and training programs dedicated to representatives of the Asian and Pacific capital markets. Third, the organization actively supports activities aimed at promoting and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through capital markets. - What is the reason and significance behind choosing Ulaanbaatar to host the ASF General Assembly in 2025? Previously, the ASF General Assembly was hosted in financial centers like Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing, and Singapore. In 2025, earning the right to host this prestigious general assembly in Ulaanbaatar is seen as a major opportunity to promote Mongolia's capital market and attract foreign investors. This marks the first time Mongolia is hosting the ASF assembly, highlighting the growing status and regional participation of our country’s financial markets. Additionally, 2025 marks both the 30th anniversary of ASF and the 30th anniversary of the Mongolian Association of Securities Dealers, making the occasion even more symbolic. - What opportunities will this assembly create for the Mongolian capital market? This assembly will create many tangible opportunities for Mongolia’s capital market. Firstly, it will help attract foreign investors and introduce the potential of the Mongolian market to them. Secondly, it will support Mongolian businesses and companies in accessing Asian capital markets, raising funds by issuing securities, and pursuing cross-listings. Thirdly, it will contribute significantly to aligning sector rules and regulations with international standards, thereby boosting investor confidence. Furthermore, it will open up wide possibilities for Mongolian companies and investors to study new investment opportunities in the Asian region, establish connections with international partners, and learn from their experience and modern trends. “At a time when major banks are seeking investments to comply with the legal requirements on shareholder concentration, this is a rare opportunity.” - How will this event enhance the international reputation of Mongolia’s financial sector? Hosting representatives of leading Asian financial institutions and successfully organizing the assembly will show Mongolia to be an active and open player on the regional financial stage, significantly boosting its international reputation. Especially now, when major banks are seeking investment to meet shareholder concentration requirements due to amendments in the banking law, this is a rare opportunity. This will also be important for mining, financial, and non-financial companies engaged in expanding their operations and attracting investments. - What is the position and involvement of the Mongolian Association of Securities Dealers in this assembly? As an active ASF member, the Mongolian Association of Securities Dealers will play a leading role in successfully organizing this assembly in Mongolia. In addition to being a co-organizer, we will introduce the unique features and potential of Mongolia's capital market, make our sector’s voice heard internationally, and actively participate in important policy discussions. We are confident that this will help to promote Mongolia’s capital market internationally, meaningfully contribute to regional financial integration, improve the domestic investment environment, and bolster investor confidence. - We are confident you will successfully organize this major Asian capital market event and raise Mongolia’s profile. We wish you success in your work. Thank you. Wishing you all the best in your work as well. Note: Media organizations (television, radio, social and web pages) are strictly prohibited from using, in whole or in part, our information in any form, except with agreement and by citing the source (ikon.mn).

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"Made in Mongolia-2025" Expo to Be Held in Sydney

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises will organize the "Made in Mongolia-2025" expo in Sydney, Australia from the 23rd to the 25th of this month. The purpose of this exhibition, being held for the second year, is to export Mongolia's national products and introduce them to the Australian market. During the exhibition, product samples will be sold at the factory's initial price (with added shipping cost). The expo will take place on the 23rd from 16:00 to 19:00, on the 24th from 13:00 to 19:00, and on the 25th from 13:00 to 19:00 this month.

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Representatives of the Bank of Mongolia Attended the Asian Development Bank's Annual Meeting

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

The 58th annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was held in Milan, Italy from May 3 to 7, and the Bank of Mongolia was represented at the event. In his opening remarks, ADB President Masato Kanda highlighted that the uncertainties facing the Asia-Pacific region present an opportunity to build a more resilient and sustainable future. The 58th annual meeting was attended by over 5,000 delegates, including representatives of governments, the banking and financial sectors, private enterprises, civil society, and academia. They discussed four main directions necessary for driving change in the Asia-Pacific region. Firstly, the ADB announced it would allocate a total of 40 billion USD until 2030 to support the transition of food systems as part of efforts to address the vulnerabilities in regional food systems. In addition, the ADB stated its intention to invest in digital technologies to increase access to education, finance, and markets, as well as to invest in upgrading energy systems and improving connectivity. This includes financial support to ensure up to 10 billion USD of investment readiness for the ASEAN Power Grid. Fourth, the ADB declared that it would deepen investments to strengthen infrastructure, restore and protect ecosystems, and help vulnerable populations affected by climate change to adapt, thereby building resilience. During the general meeting of ADB presidents, participants also discussed the necessity of digital infrastructure and digital transformation. This encompasses key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), green financing, all stages of production (primary, processing, final), e-commerce, and human resource skill development—emphasized by representatives from Indonesia, China, India, Turkey, Germany, Japan, Samoa, Singapore, Fiji, Bhutan, Hong Kong, the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, the Marshall Islands, Sweden, South Korea, Belgium, Australia, and Canada. Established in 1966, the bank currently has 69 member countries, 50 of which are in the region. During this meeting, Member of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia T. Dorjhankh, along with representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Director of the Monetary Policy Department of the Bank of Mongolia B. Bayardavaa, held bilateral meetings with Dr. Charlotte Justine Diokno-Sicat, Executive Director of the ADB Board of Directors responsible for the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Timor-Leste, as well as with Scott Morris, ADB Vice President for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, and ADB President Masato Kanda. During these meetings, they discussed and exchanged views on topics such as finance in the energy sector, the utilization of investment, increasing private sector involvement in infrastructure financing, the development and implementation of laws on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and financing for the education and social sectors.

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The MPP Group is Discussing the Development Bank

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

At its regular meeting today, the MPP group in the State Great Khural heard information regarding the draft law (revised version) on the Development Bank. The draft, prepared by the government, includes a provision to turn the Development Bank into an export-import bank. However, members of the MPP have expressed that the draft law does not include measures to improve the governance of the Development Bank. They noted that at a time when the bank is facing difficulties, starting cooperation with the "Erdenes Mongol" group company could expose the group to risks. Also, in the draft, it is specified that members of the Development Bank's Board of Directors will not participate in financial operations or be involved in appointment-related matters, which is considered by some to be a flaw. Members have criticized that relying solely on the decisions of the Development Bank's executive director is not appropriate. The members of the group have yet to form a unified position regarding this draft law. At this moment, the Democratic Party group in the State Great Khural is also holding a meeting.

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2130 Types of Products from SME Entrepreneurs Showcased in Budapest

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The finest products from the capital’s best manufacturers were displayed in Budapest on May 10-11. As part of the “Ulaanbaatar City Culture Days” event, in partnership with the Capital City Small and Medium Enterprises Support Center, 21 outstanding enterprises and individuals from nine districts showcased 2,130 types of products. The event demonstrated the creativity, skill, and craftsmanship of the country’s SME entrepreneurs. Among the selected 2,130 types of products were silver bowls, musical instruments, felt crafts, inlaid handicrafts, processed leather goods, wooden products, chess sets, deels (traditional clothing), Mongolian boots, hats, belts, and wool and cashmere products.

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An executive of a named company transferred to court for evading taxes by reducing VAT amount by ₮51.8 million

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The Prosecutor's Office, between the 5th and 9th of this month, has issued indictments in 239 cases and transferred them to the courts. Details of the cases for which indictments were issued include: - 97 against crimes infringing on personal health and safety - 55 against the regulations for road safety and vehicle operation - 51 against property rights - 7 against sexual freedom and immunity - 6 economic crimes - 5 against public safety and interests - 5 corruption crimes - 5 against the environment - 3 against the conflict of interest for public officers - 3 against the right to free existence of people - 1 each for crimes against the right to life and against public health Examples of the cases transferred to court include: - Citizen J.G., in collusion with an official of the Mongolian-Russian joint venture Ulaanbaatar Railway, through his directly controlled company, signed a contract for 'transporting baggage wagons in international and domestic relations via Ulaanbaatar Railway.' To conceal illegal income of 600,000 US dollars, he transferred the money to an account of his company established abroad, and later laundered money by purchasing properties for service purposes and land in Ulaanbaatar. Indictments were issued under Article 22.1 (Abuse of authority or official position) and Article 18.6 (Money laundering) of the Criminal Law and submitted to the first instance district criminal courts of Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Songinokhairkhan districts. - Citizen G.E., in order to conceal a large tax debt and evade tax payment, falsely reported purchasing goods and services amounting to 518 million MNT and arranged falsified documents for returns to reduce VAT payable to the budget by 51.8 million MNT, thereby evading taxes. An indictment was issued under Article 18.3 (Tax evasion) of the Criminal Law and submitted to the first instance district criminal courts of Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar, and Chingeltei districts. - Citizen B.B., to conceal a large tax debt and evade taxes, falsely declared the purchase of goods and services worth 554 million MNT, and reduced the VAT payable to the budget by 55.4 million MNT, thus avoiding tax payment. The case was indicted under Article 18.3 (Tax evasion) of the Criminal Law and submitted to Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar, and Chingeltei districts' first instance criminal courts. - Citizen P.M., for the same purposes as above, falsely reported the purchase of goods and services amounting to 524 million MNT and reduced the VAT to be paid by 52.4 million MNT, thereby evading taxes. The indictment was filed under Article 18.3 and submitted to the first instance district criminal courts of Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Songinokhairkhan districts. - An executive of “S” LLC, with the intent to conceal a large tax debt and evade taxes, falsely reported the purchase of goods and services totaling 518 million MNT, and reduced the VAT to be paid by 51.8 million MNT, thereby evading taxes. An indictment was issued under Article 18.3 and submitted to Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Songinokhairkhan districts' first instance criminal courts. - Citizens E.B. and others, acting in concert, illegally obtained, stored, and sold 40 vials of "Morphine" — a drug listed in Schedule I of the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs — with the intent to sell, and have persistently committed this crime. An indictment was issued under Article 20.7(1,2,3) (Illegal use of narcotic and psychotropic substances) and forwarded to the first instance district criminal courts of Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Songinokhairkhan districts, respectively. Source: Office of the State General Prosecutor Notice: Media organizations (TV, Radio, Social media, and Websites) are prohibited from fully or partially using this information in any form without prior agreement, and in case of agreement, must indicate the source (ikon.mn).

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Proposal to Increase the Monthly MRTV Household Fee to 2,500 MNT

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

The Mongolian National Public Radio Television (MRTV) currently collects a monthly fee of 600-1200 MNT from households. Now, the National Council of MRTV has proposed to increase this fee to 2,500 MNT. Specifically, because the government’s financial support for MRTV has decreased, the council suggested raising the fee collected from households. However, the final decision will be made by a government resolution. For reference, Government Resolution No. 28 of 2000 approved the "Regulations for Collecting Television Broadcast Service Fees from Households, Businesses, and Individuals." According to these regulations, Order No. 403 of 2001, issued by the Director of the Radio and Television Regulatory Agency, set the following monthly television broadcast service fees, which remain in effect: 1,100 MNT from households and individuals, and 1,650 MNT from organizations in Ulaanbaatar and its districts; 850 MNT from households and individuals, and 1,200 MNT from organizations and businesses in provincial centers; and 600 MNT from households, individuals, organizations, and businesses in soums and baghs.

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Diplomacy

Mongolia Removed from Japan's 'List of Countries Requiring Special Attention' for Visa Screening, Joins Top 12 Countries with High Visa Issuance Rates Alongside South Korea and Singapore

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

Mongolia has been removed from Japan's 'list of countries requiring special attention' for visa screening and has now joined the list of 12 Asian countries with a high rate of visa issuance. This places Mongolia alongside highly developed countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, the Maldives, Turkey, and Brunei, all recognized for their high visa issuance rates in Asia. As a result of being included in this list, visa controls have become more relaxed, reducing the amount of documentation needed to obtain a visa to Japan and making the application and admission process easier. This creates more favorable opportunities for Mongolian students. Additionally, this development reflects positively on the social, political, and international relations between Japan and Mongolia. Furthermore, the low levels of crime, illegal activity, and visa violations among Mongolian citizens living and working in Japan have also played an important role in this development.

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Standing Committee Chairmen Meet with World Bank Representatives

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

L. Enkhnasan, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Policy, Ch. Undram, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Science and Sports, and Member of Parliament S. Zulfkhar received a delegation led by Mr. Alberto Rodriguez Pinzon, Director of Human Development for the East Asia and Pacific region at the World Bank. Chairman L. Enkhnasan briefly introduced the structure and composition of the State Great Khural (the Parliament) and the areas of responsibility and functions of the standing committees. He expressed gratitude for the cooperation with the World Bank in the health and other social sectors. He emphasized his satisfaction with the project supported by the bank to improve capacity in emergency medical care, noting good practices being domesticated, and stated his position that the project should continue to focus on improving emergency care in rural areas. Ch. Undram, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Science and Sports, mentioned that they are paying attention to the implementation of the package of education laws passed by the previous parliament. She explained that the government has declared 2026 as "The Year of Supporting Education," and in line with this, policies and programs are being developed, with plans to establish new primary schools in rural, remote, and border areas in cooperation with UNICEF on pilot projects. She also noted policies aiming at developing primary, middle, and high schools separately, the launch of the Pearson program for improving English language training, and improvements to the environments of sum (district) schools, including modern restrooms, which are nearing completion. MP S. Zulfkhar highlighted the World Bank's support in the reform of Mongolia's social insurance system, mentioning a need to finalize changes to key indicators and basic conditions for social insurance services. He also requested cooperation in refining the results-based financing system that is currently being implemented in the health sector and soon to be introduced in education. He added that the government, according to its program, is focusing on energy and infrastructure developments, and stressed that the standing committees will continue to support government policy while ensuring that issues of human development and social affairs are not neglected. Mr. Alberto Rodriguez Pinzon underlined the importance for any country aiming for rapid development and entry into the ranks of high-income nations to invest in its people. He expressed readiness to collaborate with the government in using international financial resources for the social sectors and offer support to the standing committees. Especially in connection with the upcoming year being declared as the "Year of Supporting Education," he stated the World Bank's willingness to ensure equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of where they live in the country. The meeting was also attended by Taehyun Lee, the World Bank's Resident Representative in Mongolia, Christian Aedo, Education Manager for East Asia and the Pacific, Maria Ana Lugo, Human Development Program Leader for Mongolia, China, and South Korea, as well as specialists in health and education, according to the Parliament's Media Department.

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Mongolia and Hungary to Expand Cooperation in Tourism

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

As part of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Hungary, "Ulaanbaatar Cultural Days" was held on May 10-11 on Margaret Island in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Eight member tour operator companies from the European Market Sector Association of the Tourism Professional Association (a public legal entity) participated in the event. Within the framework of the event, officials from the Ulaanbaatar Tourism Department, the European Market Sector Association of the Tourism Professional Association, the Budapest Department of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth, as well as representatives responsible for diplomatic relations, held an official meeting. On the Mongolian side, D. Batsukh, head of the Ulaanbaatar Tourism Department, S. Tuul, head of the Implementation Policy Division of Ulaanbaatar Tourism Department, M. Narangerel, executive director of the European Market Sector Association of the Tourism Professional Association, Sh. Ankhbayar, foreign relations manager, T. Burenjargal, cultural attaché of the Mongolian Embassy in Hungary, and interpreter Ch. Enkhbat attended the event. On the Hungarian side, Katalin Datner, head of the Budapest Department of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth, and Orsolya Hladoni, head of the Department of Foreign Relations, participated and exchanged views on the opportunities for cooperation in the fields of tourism and culture between the two countries. During the meeting, Katalin Datner gave a brief introduction about the tourism products, services, and strategic directions of Budapest city, while the Ulaanbaatar Tourism Department shared information about the development of tourism in Mongolia, the readiness for receiving tourists, and available opportunities, and expressed an interest in expanding bilateral cooperation. Both sides concluded that this meeting marked the beginning of a new stage in bilateral cooperation and relations in the field of tourism. One of the highlights of the event was a promotional day presenting Mongolian tourism products and services to Hungarian citizens. Eight tour operator companies from the Mongolian side jointly organized the event and showcased Mongolia's main tourism products such as nature, culture, nomadic lifestyle, and adventure tourism to the Hungarian audience. Additionally, a quiz competition under the theme "Who knows Mongolia best?" was successfully organized, and the top participant among the actively involved citizens was awarded a travel coupon to visit Mongolia. This prize was sponsored jointly by eight member organizations of the European Market Sector Association of the Tourism Professional Association. The "Ulaanbaatar Cultural Days" event became an important step in bringing Mongolia closer to Hungarian tourists and in expanding tangible, effective relations in the field of tourism. Press and Public Relations Department of the Governor's Office of Ulaanbaatar

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Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar Visits Hungary with a Delegation of 150 for Experience Exchange

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

Member of Parliament Ch. Lodoysambuu posted on his social media that Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar was "touring" Hungary with a delegation of 150 people under the guise of learning from their experience. Indeed, they visited Hungary for experience exchange on May 10th and 11th. Two days ago, Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar wrote on his social media, "These days I am working in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Since Budapest is located on the banks of the Danube River, the city has excellent experience in water retention and floodwater management. Their water construction specialists are highly skilled. Therefore, we have decided to invite water sector engineers and technicians from Budapest to work in Ulaanbaatar. Additionally, the city's public transportation management is renowned across Europe. We have agreed to learn from their experience, especially in metro and tram operations, and to cooperate in this direction."

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Leaders of Chinese Tourism Companies Familiarize Themselves with Ulaanbaatar City

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

The City Governor's Office of the Capital, the Ulaanbaatar City Tourism Department, the Mongolian Tourism Association, and 'Zuut Travel' company jointly organized the 'International Promotion of Ulaanbaatar City' program from May 8th to 10th, inviting 100 tourism companies from China and introducing them to the unique features of domestic tourism. As part of this program aimed at increasing the number of foreign tourists, more than 100 representatives from top tourism organizations in 18 provinces of China—including Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Hebei, Yunnan, Tianjin, and Guangzhou—visited to familiarize themselves with tourism products and services in Ulaanbaatar and its surroundings. Within the framework of the program, a "Tourism Business Operators (B2B) Meeting" was organized to expand bilateral tourism cooperation. Officials such as A. Bayar, the Chairman of Ulaanbaatar City's Citizen's Representative Khural, G. Batsaikhan, Advisor to the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar City on infrastructure and energy issues, N. Altanzaya, a specialist in marketing and promotion from the City Tourism Department, and D. Otgonbayar, Executive Director of the Mongolian Tourism Association, attended the meeting. Opening the event, A. Bayar emphasized, “2024 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the People's Republic of China. During this period, we have continuously expanded and strengthened cooperation in trade, economy, tourism, culture, and humanitarian fields, elevating our partnership to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. Strengthening tourism and cultural ties between the two nations and enhancing mutual understanding among citizens are of great importance. This event is organized as part of efforts to promote Ulaanbaatar’s tourism products and services and increase the number of tourists. In previous years, to promote tourism development between the two countries, initiatives included the implementation of the 'Tea Road' car tour between Mongolia, China, and Russia, as well as the construction of the Tea Road monument in Ulaanbaatar to revive cultural heritage. Furthermore, the international 'Steppe Wind' motorcycle festival, which attracts participants from China and other countries, will be organized for the tenth time this year. Through such events, we highlight the growing cultural and tourism resources of Ulaanbaatar and promote them in our professional networks.” The meeting was attended by representatives of 15 domestic travel companies providing tourism services to China, and over 100 delegates from Chinese tourism companies, who exchanged experiences. Chinese tourism companies discussed with Mongolian counterparts opportunities for cooperation, group tours, family vacations, individual trips, and long-term programs. In addition, the Chinese guests visited Sukhbaatar Square, the ‘Chinggis Khaan Museum,’ the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery, and several tourism complexes in Terelj, becoming acquainted with operations and enjoyed performances showcasing Mongolian heritage. During the program, Chinese tourism companies learned about Ulaanbaatar’s tourism products and services and expressed their readiness to cooperate in increasing the number of Chinese tourists visiting Mongolia. Source: NITKHMONHA

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The EU Ambassador to Mongolia, Ina Marciulionyte, was Received

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Member of Parliament and member of the Mongolian parliamentary group for relations with the European Parliament, J. Bayarmaa, received the Ambassador of the European Union to Mongolia, Ina Marciulionyte, today. MP J. Bayarmaa emphasized that Mongolia, within the framework of its third neighbor policy, aims to develop effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with the European Union and its member states in all socio-economic sectors. She noted that the European Union and its member states have consistently supported and assisted in Mongolia's democratization, social and economic changes and reforms, highlighting the expansion of relations and cooperation between Mongolia and the European Union. Ambassador Marciulionyte stated that the relations between the EU and Mongolia are based on shared values such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and expressed readiness to cooperate further to ensure human rights and freedom of expression. She also provided information about the first "Business and Investment Forum" between the EU and Mongolia, to be held in Ulaanbaatar on October 13-14, 2025. At the end of the meeting, MP J. Bayarmaa expressed her wish for the European Union to pay attention to strengthening democracy, ensuring human rights, freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the freedom to publish, and to further cooperate in these areas, according to the Parliamentary Press Office.

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Infrastructure

No state number plates will be issued to cars older than 10 years in the capital starting next month

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

In order to reduce traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar, the Citizens' Representative Khural passed a resolution on February 8, 2025, to cap the maximum number of vehicle registrations in the capital city at 730,000. As per this resolution, starting from November 8, the city has stopped issuing new urban registration numbers for imported vehicles. Out of the eight regulations included in the resolution, two will come into effect from June 1st of this year. They are as follows: - Vehicle registration numbers will only be issued to vehicles that have been manufactured within the last 10 years. - When importing vehicles, it will be required that they have passed a pre-export technical inspection.

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V. Putin Expresses Interest in Building a Small Nuclear Power Plant in Mongolia During Meeting with President U. Khurelsukh in Moscow

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

During President U. Khurelsukh's visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his interest in building a small nuclear power plant in Mongolia. According to reports from RIA Novosti, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of the "Rosatom" State Corporation, stated that President Putin had an extensive 15-20 minute discussion with the Mongolian president about the development of nuclear energy when President U. Khurelsukh attended the 80th anniversary celebration of the victory in World War II. Likhachev mentioned that during the meeting, Putin demonstrated his broad knowledge of the nuclear energy sector in the French Republic, providing a detailed introduction to the amount of electricity produced as well as the models of the nuclear power plants currently being constructed in France. According to Putin, the French proposal does not include the option of building a low-capacity nuclear power plant, and he expressed that this makes it less competitive compared to Russia’s proposal to construct a "small-capacity nuclear power plant." Russia's "Rosatom" corporation has developed a model for a 330 MW small-capacity plant and has been actively working to export it to several countries in recent years. In 2024, Russia and Uzbekistan signed the first export agreement of this kind, and there has also been a preliminary agreement with Mongolia to build such a small nuclear power plant. In summary, during President U. Khurelsukh's visit to Russia, the Russian leader discussed the project of the French company Orano, which plans to mine uranium in Mongolia, and talked about Russia’s ability to build a small nuclear power plant in Mongolia. However, some citizens of Mongolia have strongly opposed this proposal on social media, as the country has historically been dependent on Russia for its energy supply and is striving to overcome this by calling for the construction of hydroelectric plants like those at Eg River and Erdeneburen in recent years. Source: RIA Novosti

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Direct Flights from South Korea to Murun, Khuvsgul to Begin

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

In order to increase the influx of tourists to Mongolia and enable them to quickly reach their intended travel destinations, direct international flights from Jeonju city in the Republic of Korea to Murun soum in Khuvsgul province will commence starting July 29th. Officials noted that this historic flight will not only make a real contribution to the development of the country's tourism sector but will also be of significant importance for the economy of Khuvsgul province and the wider region. The project is being jointly implemented by the tourism company "Chandmani Travel" and the national air carrier "Hunnu Air," with a contract to operate the first two flights in July and August. It is also worth mentioning that during the inaugural session of the Northern Regional Council, held last month in Bulgan province, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene announced that the "Murun" airport in Khuvsgul province would be upgraded to international 4C standard.

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From June 1, vehicles older than 10 years will no longer be issued new Ulaanbaatar registration numbers

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

In order to reduce traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar city, the City Council (NITX) approved a resolution setting the maximum number of vehicle registration numbers in the capital at 730,000. From November 8, new city registration numbers have not been issued to imported cars. Starting November 15 of last year, the first four criteria of this regulation came into effect, and two more criteria will be implemented starting June 1 of this year. According to E. Nindev, head of the Ulaanbaatar City Motor Vehicle Registration and Control Center, "From June 1, vehicles older than 10 years will not be issued new Ulaanbaatar city registration numbers. Also, for vehicles imported into Ulaanbaatar, they must have passed a technical inspection in the exporting country before leaving it. In other words, there must be a report on the vehicle's history during its use in the country of origin." Regarding the issuance of registration numbers with the UB series for vehicles: Criteria implemented since November 15 of last year: - The owner or possessor of the vehicle must be a resident citizen of the capital or a legal entity registered in the capital; - The owner or possessor must have paid the fees required by the Law on Roads and settled any violations and fines specified by Article 14.7 of the Law on Violations. The vehicle must also be insured in accordance with Article 5.1 of the Law on Driver’s Insurance; - The vehicle’s engine must meet the Euro-4 or equivalent or higher ecological standard; - The vehicle must meet the order of priority defined by the approved criteria. Criteria to be implemented from June 1, 2025: 5. The vehicle must have been manufactured within the last 10 years; 6. The vehicle must have passed a pre-export technical inspection. However, certain vehicles that have little impact on the main streets and traffic congestion of the capital—such as motorcycles, machinery, locomotives, trailers, tankers, special-purpose vehicles, and buses—are still being issued registration numbers as usual. There are over 800,000 vehicles registered in Ulaanbaatar, of which 74 percent are older than 10 years. Notice: Media organizations (TV, radio, social media, and websites) are strictly prohibited from fully or partially using our information in any form unless there is prior agreement and the source (ikon.mn) is referenced.

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A Center for Construction Materials and Raw Materials Import Supply and Logistics Will Be Established in the Zamyn-Uud Free Economic Zone

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

The inaugural meeting of the Gobi Region Council is being held in Sainshand soum, Dornogovi province. Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene, together with members of the government, is attending, visiting exhibitions of tourism and small and medium producers from the regional provinces, delivering a lecture on "Regional Development Reform", and holding discussions. The Gobi region has been designated as an industrially specialized zone and a sub-region for green energy within the primary focus areas for regional development. Accordingly, the meeting addresses the development policies of Govisumber, Dornogovi, Umnugovi, and Dundgovi provinces, newly defining and integrating them into the "Gobi Region Development-2040" program. Discussions are being held regarding the legal framework for the regional council, investment, projects and programs to be implemented, unique regional features, comparisons, quality of life, and pressing issues, with participation from government, private sector, local administration leaders, academics, researchers, and citizens. Solutions are identified to be submitted and decided upon at the Cabinet meeting. The development goal for the region is to expand economic relations with China and South Asian countries, and to develop the Gobi as a "Region Forming the National Wealth Fund", specializing in high-tech mining and heavy industry, with tourism based on the Gobi’s pristine nature, history, cultural heritage, and paleontological resources, while also developing a green energy sub-region. In this context, the construction of transport logistics centers and dry ports in Dalanzadgad and Choir, a special culture and tourism zone, and a geopark in Dundgovi province are planned. Furthermore, the phased implementation of the government’s decision to supply water to the Gobi region via the "Orkhon-Ongi" and "Kherlen Toono" projects is supported and agreed upon by the region’s people. A total of 38 projects and construction activities are planned for the Gobi region, covering transport logistics, urban development, ports, culture, tourism, education, healthcare, energy, industry, and services. For example, the capacities and classification of the Gashuun Sukhait, Shivee Khuren, and Khangi border ports will be upgraded, manufacturing and technology parks will be established in Umnugovi province with coal-power and metallurgical coke, and other associated industries, and its airport will be expanded to a 4D classification. A center for construction materials and raw materials import supply and logistics will be established in the Zamyn-Uud Free Economic Zone. Among the government’s 14 mega projects, those to be implemented in this region include the Gashuun Sukhait-Gantsmod, Khangi-Mandal, Shivee Khuren-Sehe border port railways, coal-chemistry and coke-chemical complexes, an oil refinery complex, and a 450 MW capacity thermal power plant.

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UMNUGOVI: Emphasizing the Importance of Water for Major Projects in the Gobi Region

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

Dalanzadgad The first regional conference of the Gobi region is being held on May 11-12, 2025. The inaugural conference is organized in Dornogovi province, with participation from Members of Parliament, local leaders, and representatives from state and private sectors. The aim is to identify key directions for major projects, programs, and investments under the regional development policy for the Gobi, and to discuss and devise joint solutions for the issues facing the provinces and the implementation of economically beneficial projects. Members of Parliament and local leaders elected from Umnugovi province stressed the urgent need for national-level implementation of major projects in water, energy, road infrastructure, tourism, and environmental sectors, and expressed their proposal to prioritize these in the nation's feasibility studies (FS). Out of 14 mega projects to be implemented nationwide by 2030, 7 will be implemented in the Gobi region. Representatives agree that water is of utmost importance for the successful implementation of these major projects in the Gobi region. During the meeting of the Gobi region provincial representatives, the Governor of Umnugovi, N.Enkhbat, signed memorandums of cooperation in four directions. Specifically, in the framework of improving the legal environment for regional tourism development and resolving pressing issues, a cooperation agreement was signed with T.Battulga, President of the "Tourism Professional Association" public legal entity. To improve the enforcement of construction-related laws, rules, and standards and enhance the quality of project design and implementation, an agreement was signed with P.Purevkhatun, Director of the "Construction Development Center" SOE and a certified engineer of Mongolia. To implement a joint Master's and Doctoral program for training specialists and human resources in the Gobi region provinces, a partnership was concluded with G.Battuvshin, Director of the School of Management, MUST. Additionally, to establish a state-owned "Production and Technology Park," an agreement was signed with J.Enkhtuvshin, Project Coordinator of "Erdenes Industry Technology Park." This conference is being held to accelerate the implementation of Mongolia's regional development concept, policy, and activities, to enable Gobi regional representatives to identify key directions and investment plans for regional development, consolidate proposals, and present issues to be resolved at an expanded meeting of the Government of Mongolia.

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Governor of Dundgovi Province S. Munkhchuluun Emphasizes the Need to Expand the UB-DUA-OMA Road to Four Lanes

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

A panel discussion is underway at the inaugural meeting of the Gobi Regional Council. The Government of Mongolia has set a goal to prioritize regional development and has newly approved the Concept for Regional Development. Accordingly, the first meeting of the Gobi Regional Council is being held in Sainshand, Dornogovi province. The discussion focuses on issues such as ensuring the right of regional citizens to live a healthy and safe life, identifying pressing social issues, increasing household income by supporting employment, and creating opportunities to ensure citizens are satisfied with life in their region. Dundgovi Province Governor S. Munkhchuluun, participating as a panelist, highlighted the urgent need to resolve Gobi region's infrastructure challenges, particularly emphasizing the necessity to expedite and complete the horizontal axis road project and to expand the UB-DuA-OMA (Ulaanbaatar-Dundgovi-Umnugovi) highway to four lanes. He also pointed out that an integral part of improving citizens' living environment is the commissioning of a thermal power plant. Dundgovi province has declared 2025 as the “Year to Improve Environmental Landscaping,” and as the provincial governor, S. Munkhchuluun prioritized and presented the region's urgent issues at the council meeting.

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Nisekh Roundabout is Being Redeveloped for 15 Billion

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

Work continues on the Nisekh roundabout to transform it into a multi-level interchange, with a project cost exceeding 15 billion tugriks. According to official information, as part of the redevelopment, the current heating pipeline will be relocated and modified, and the water supply and sewage pipelines running under the road will be reinforced and protected. The telecom and electricity manholes and duct systems will be protected, relocated, or built anew, and a new stormwater drainage pipeline for the road will be constructed. Specifically, work on relocating and modifying the heating pipeline began in April. As of now, excavation, earthworks, trenching between heating manholes, and pouring concrete for the manholes are underway. The company "Tuulyn Guur Dalai" LLC is carrying out the project, which officially commenced construction on September 15, 2024.

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It has been decided to implement 38 projects in the Gobi region

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

A total of 38 projects and developments are planned to be implemented in the Gobi region, including those related to transport logistics, urban development, ports, culture, tourism, education, healthcare, energy, industry, and services. For instance, the ranks and throughput capacities of the Gashuunsukhait, Shiveekhuren, and Khangi ports will be upgraded, an industrial-technology park equipped with coal-power and metallurgical coke, as well as other related factories, will be established in Omnogovi province, the airport in this province will be expanded to a 4D classification, and a supply and logistics center for imported construction materials and raw materials will be set up in the Zamyn-Uud Free Economic Zone. Among the government's 14 mega projects, those to be implemented in this region include the railways at the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod, Khangi-Mandal, and Shiveekhuren-Sehe border ports, coal-chemical and coke-chemistry complexes, an oil processing complex, and a Thermal Power Plant with a capacity of 450 MW.

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From May 15, heating will be stopped and hot water will be limited in some areas

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

Starting from May 15, 2025, household heating will be stopped in Ulaanbaatar city, and repair and renovation work on heating pipelines and equipment will begin. This work will be organized according to the plan approved by "Ulaanbaatar Heating Network" JSC. As part of the repairs, hot water supply will be temporarily limited for certain periods. The first phase of repairs is scheduled from May 15 to 29, affecting Microdistricts 2, 3, 4, and 6, Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the former maternal and child hospital area, and near the Mongolian National Broadcasting area. Additionally, users in the areas of TBD Anduud, Grand Plaza, and Kyozushuuzan Tower will also be affected by these limitations during this period. The repair works will continue until August 20, 2025, with hot water being temporarily cut off in other locations step by step for upgrades to the pipelines and equipment.

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Schedule of Electricity Restrictions in Ulaanbaatar and Tuv Province on May 13

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

The following is the schedule for electricity restrictions in the capital city and Tuv province on May 13. The Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network Company (UBCTS) has released the schedule for planned maintenance work on the electricity transmission lines and equipment in Ulaanbaatar in May 2025. On May 13, scheduled electricity restrictions will be implemented in some households and businesses in the Bayanzurkh, Chingeltei, Bayangol, Khan-Uul, and Nalaikh districts of the city, as well as in some households and organizations in Bayang-Önjüül soum of Tuv province. The duration and areas of restriction will differ depending on the location, with interruptions starting at 09:00 and lasting until 20:00. To view the detailed schedule for the maintenance work on the electricity lines and equipment on May 13, 2025, click HERE. Notice: It is strictly prohibited for media organizations (TV, Radio, Social Media, and Web pages) to use our information, whether in part or in full, in any form unless an agreement has been reached and the source (ikon.mn) is cited.

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E. Nindev: A new regulation for registering Sur-Ron and mopeds for road use has been introduced

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

According to MPA Agency sources, a regulation has been implemented which requires Sur-Ron electric bikes and mopeds to undergo inspection before being issued a national registration number. E. Nindev, Head of the Motor Vehicle Registration and Control Center, explained: "With the start of the warm season, the amount of traffic participating with two-wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles, has increased. New types of vehicles like Sur-Ron and mopeds are also adding to this trend. We are registering these types of vehicles. If a person, organization or company purchases a Sur-Ron or moped for either official or private use, they must present a technical inspection certificate, a document of origin, and customs documentation. After this, the vehicle can be registered, and a registration certificate as well as a license plate can be issued for participation in road traffic. Registration should be done at the Motor Vehicle Registration and Control Center. Although people can buy a Sur-Ron from bike shops, participating in road traffic with it while only using the frame number is prohibited," he explained. By registering Sur-Ron or mopeds in the national registration, they will be subject to the same tax as motorcycles. The annual motorcycle tax is as follows: - For two-wheeled motorcycles: 2,000-6,000 MNT in the capital and cities of national status; 1,800-5,400 MNT in provincial towns and sums. - For three-wheeled motorcycles: 1,500-9,000 MNT in the capital and cities of national status; 2,800-8,400 MNT in provincial towns and sums. Notice:
Media outlets (TV, radio, social and web pages) are prohibited from using this information in part or in full in any form, except by prior agreement and by citing the original source (ikon.mn).

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Surron and Mopeds to be Subjected to Inspection and Registration

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

Surron electric bikes, mopeds, and motorcycles are now classified as vehicles subject to technical inspection, and regulations requiring them to be registered and assigned a license plate have begun to take effect. Specifically, it is now prohibited to purchase these types of vehicles from any source and operate them with just the chassis number. Therefore, these vehicles must be brought in for inspection, receive certification, and subsequently be registered to obtain either a motorcycle-type or Surron-type license plate before they can be operated on the roads. Once Surron electric bikes and mopeds are registered with the national system, their owners will be required to pay taxes similar to those for motorcycles. The annual government tax for motorcycles is as follows: For two-wheeled motorcycles: - In the capital city and cities with national status: 2,000–6,000 Mongolian tögrög (MNT) - In cities and soums with local status: 1,800–5,400 MNT For three-wheeled motorcycles: - In the capital city and cities with national status: 1,500–9,000 MNT - In cities and soums with local status: 2,800–8,400 MNT.

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Darkhan Metallurgical Plant Invites Cooperation in Housing Project

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

Darkhan Metallurgical Plant LLC is planning to implement a housing project of 800 units in Darkhan-Uul province and is inviting organizations interested in participating in this project. The project involves constructing residential buildings, establishing infrastructure facilities, and requires high-quality standards. Therefore, organizations and individuals wishing to cooperate are requested to submit detailed materials. Required Materials: - Official letter expressing intent to cooperate - Company profile - Copy of state registration certificate - Copy of special permit for construction works - Information about machinery and technical equipment - Information about human resources - Reports on works completed in the last 3 years - Documents proving financial capability for the last 3 years - Court decision enforcement agency clearance - Proposal and plan for project implementation Deadline for submitting materials: Participants must submit their materials electronically to info@dmp.mn by 12:00 PM on May 26, 2025. Contact: For additional information and clarifications, please contact: Email: info@dmp.mn Phone: Call 7555-0011 and press 8 Address: Room 208, 2nd floor, Darkhan Metallurgical Plant LLC building, Khongor soum, Darkhan-Uul province.

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Society

By attending "Europe Day", you can get information on how to participate in Schengen visa and scholarship programs

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

With the special permission of the MPA news agency, the photo was used. This Saturday, from 11:00 to 18:00, "Europe Day" will be held at the National Amusement Park. By attending Europe Day: - You will be able to get acquainted with the unique cultures of European countries and taste their food and delicacies, - You can get acquainted with the activities and results of more than 70 tents representing the embassies, cultural and educational organizations, business entities of the European Union and its member states, as well as development projects and programs funded by the European Union, - Get information about opportunities to study in Europe and participate in scholarship programs, - Receive real advice and travel information regarding Schengen visas, - You will also have the chance to meet Erasmus+ scholarship alumni and hear about their experiences. Furthermore, a cultural and artistic program will be held on stage throughout the whole day. Source: The Delegation of the European Union to Mongolia Warning: Media organizations (Television, Radio, Social and Web pages) are prohibited from using our information in whole or in part in any form unless agreed otherwise, and when used, must cite the source (ikon.mn).

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Mayor Kh.Nyambaatar Criticized for 'Leading a 150-Member Delegation' on a Costly Trip to Hungary

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

Member of Parliament Ch.Lodoisambuu has criticized Mayor Kh.Nyambaatar for reportedly leading a 150-person delegation to Hungary to study experiences there. Specifically, he stated, "The mayor is in Hungary with a delegation of 150 people for experience exchange. When will this experience-gathering ever end? It's a plane full of people. When it comes to increasing taxes, they tell us all kinds of suffering. But it turns out to be just money for trips. About 110 out of the supposed 150 people applied for visas. Half of them are from the arts, culture, and media sectors, while the remaining 40 are officials with official passports. What a wasteful expense." When the capital city’s communication office was asked about this issue, they responded, "Mayor Kh.Nyambaatar is currently working in Budapest, Hungary. We are confirming whether the delegation numbers 150 people. Within the framework of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Hungary, 'Ulaanbaatar Cultural Days' were organized in Budapest on May 10 and 11. There were art performances. We also promoted the 'Go Mongolia' national tourism brand, held events such as horseback archery, an exhibition and market of small and medium-sized enterprises and handicraft entrepreneurs, a food festival, a photo exhibition 'Along the Mongolian-Hungarian Historical Path', documentary films, and an honorary unified art performance. Furthermore, in partnership with the Capital City’s Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center, the best 21 businesses from 9 districts and their outstanding products—totaling 2,130 types—were exhibited," the office stated.

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INA MARCIULIONYTE: We Strive to Support Mongolia in Every Way to Make It a Youth-Friendly and Livable Country

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

We spoke with Ina Marciulionytė, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union to Mongolia, about the upcoming "European Day 2025" event on the 17th of this month, as well as about the projects, programs, policies, and activities of the European Union in our country. - The annual "European Day," held every May, is coming up in a few days. What will be different in this year's event compared to previous years? - The main change this year is the location. While we used to hold it every year at Sukhbaatar Square, this year, for the first time, we are organizing it at the National Park. Sukhbaatar Square is, of course, the most prestigious and significant location, but having the event in the same place each year may limit the scope of participants. Therefore, in order to refresh the audience, we chose a location where families typically go during weekends. In line with this, we have asked the participating organizations to focus more on activities for families and children. We adhere to the main concept of "One Europe." So, all European organizations operating in Mongolia, as well as the embassies in Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, and Seoul, will participate in and promote themselves at this event. What we value most right now is the weather; we are praying and hoping for nice weather this coming Saturday. We invite everyone interested in learning more about European countries, their culture and art, tasting their cuisine, and listening to their music to come to the "European Day 2025" event at the National Park. INTRODUCING THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING TRADE AND INVESTMENT - Through this event, what message does the European Union aim to convey, and what opportunities does it want to offer to Mongolians? - Our main message is that Europeans are Mongolia’s trusted friends and third partners. We also seek to show that all our activities are transparent and clear. We are now placing special emphasis on increasing trade and investment opportunities. While before we only talked about investing for development, now we work together as partners. Though we are not neighbors by geography, we are deeply connected as third neighbors and good partners through many multifaceted relationships and cooperation. As a third neighbor, we see Mongolia as a country that has managed to establish a comprehensive and strong democracy. We support and cooperate technically in strengthening this democracy and carrying out reform-oriented changes. Recently, there is much discussion that young Mongolians are leaving the country. Since coming here, I have met many ambitious, highly skilled young people who are eager to bring about change. I believe they will bring about transformation. One of the main reasons Mongolians are compelled to leave is air pollution. I am inspired by the work being done by young people in this area. We strive to fully support and work together to make Mongolia a youth-friendly and livable country. We aim to create favorable conditions for young people to return to their homeland after a certain period abroad. If you look closely, every project and program implemented by the EU here includes goals such as promoting gender equality and encouraging youth participation. - How important do you think such cultural events are for enhancing mutual understanding at the citizen or public level between Mongolia and the European Union? - People do not know much about the European Union, not only in Mongolia but in other countries as well. When one thinks of Europe, they usually only think of Germany, France, or Italy – a very limited concept. While these are all EU member states, there are 24 other countries behind them. In Mongolia, as many as seven EU member state embassies are operating, while representatives of the other 20 countries travel from Beijing or Seoul to participate in such events. This gives an opportunity to introduce smaller, less-known countries such as Croatia. Although all 27 EU member states have unique, rich cultures and traditions, they are united by common values. European Day provides an opportunity to present this in an engaging way to the public. - Previously, you took part in such events as a guest while serving as ambassador in Beijing. Now you will be the host, welcoming guests and delegations. How do you feel about and what are your expectations for this role? - What is good is that countries with no embassy in Mongolia find it interesting to meet diplomatic representatives and seek to expand bilateral relations and cooperation, especially in terms of investment and partnership. The Mongolian government is showing great interest in this. We have already started planning next year's event. Since half of the country's population lives in the capital, we have been holding the event in Ulaanbaatar every year. I think we have given the capital’s residents a certain level of information and understanding. Moving forward, we will focus on creating opportunities to inform and educate people living in rural areas. During my term here, I hope to visit as many provinces and soums as possible, meet people face-to-face, and learn about their lives. Social media has improved access to information, but meeting people in person and organizing real activities make a much bigger impact than simply providing information through screens. We are still thinking about how to reach rural residents and are confident we can find an interesting solution. FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABLE, GREEN, AND DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT - Last year was the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the EU. You were appointed as ambassador in this milestone year. Can you tell us about the scope, directions, and achievements of bilateral relations and cooperation up to this point? - Over these 35 years, there have of course been significant changes in our relations. The main event to highlight is Mongolia’s transition to democracy and a market economy. Initially, Mongolia was seen as a developing country and the EU as a supporter of development, but now it is more of a partnership and investment relationship. We are supporting reforms together with the government to create a favorable environment for the private sector. The main priorities of cooperation are aligned with the government’s policies and activities. Official strategic documents for 2021–2027 indicate two main focus areas: sustainable green development, and democratic and economic development. Recently, we have worked closely with the National Energy Reform Committee to promote energy independence, which is important for reducing air and environmental pollution in the long term. There are many projects and programs being implemented with major banks like the EBRD and EIB. For example, we have started a project with the EBRD to build a renewable energy transmission line and substation from Choir to Sainshand. We are also working on expanding heating pipelines, improving waste management, building new landfills, and recycling construction waste to produce primary materials, all in cooperation with banks. Additionally, we collaborate with the government and relevant bodies to strengthen the judiciary, improve the decision-making system of courts, and protect media freedom. A few days ago, high-level officials from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe visited Mongolia to exchange experiences with the Constitutional Court. We also recently held a successful legal training for journalists as part of the "Cooperation and Transparency in Judicial Governance" project, implemented with the IDLO. Another major collaborative work is the ASDIP or “Provincial and Soum Regional Green Development Investment Program,” undertaken with the Asian Development Bank and EIB. This is a long-term project to develop sustainable, climate-resilient, and livable provinces and soums, with major infrastructure and energy components in 17 provinces. We also have joint projects with the UNDP such as "Supporting Employment Reform through Sustainable Development-Oriented Budgeting in Mongolia" and with UNFPA and the National Committee on Gender on "Strengthening National Capacity for Gender Equality in Mongolia." There are far too many projects to mention them all individually. What I shared here is only a small part of our extensive work. - There seem to be many effective programs supporting agriculture in rural areas. Can you highlight some examples? - We have been very active in recent years in developing value-added agricultural production, especially in expanding and supporting the value chain for cashmere and meat. This is very important now when the livestock population is multiple times higher than the optimal range and the grazing capacity has been vastly exceeded. The key is how to develop the value chain while managing livestock more sustainably and in line with green practices, thus supporting local livelihoods and increasing exports. For example, under a project to develop the cashmere value chain, we introduced a traceability system using QR codes. By scanning the code, people can identify which province, soum, herder group, and even which herder’s goats produced the cashmere for that product. This transparency benefits both the raw material suppliers (herders) and the end buyers (consumers). Together with the FAO and university research teams, we developed 19 new products from organ meats, increasing the utilization and consumption of these nutrient-rich yet often discarded items. All these initiatives are pathways towards sustainable agriculture and value-added production. - Mongolia is an agricultural country with a unique mix of settled and nomadic culture. What perspective should we use in considering sustainable development for Mongolia? - Looking at Mongolia’s nomadic way of life, it is an ancient, sustainable, and nature-friendly tradition. Whether due to climate change or intensified issues of grazing capacity, herders are now much more focused on how to manage agriculture sustainably. Awareness and knowledge are improving; herders now recognize that while goats are highly profitable, they also heavily degrade pasture. This improved understanding leads to action: maintaining a smaller herd and managing pasture and water properly lessen the impact of climate change, reduce disaster risk, lower the costs for feed, and boost resilience in difficult winters. This is great progress. In talking about sustainability in agriculture, quality is now prioritized over quantity. Since my posting in Mongolia, I have visited several provinces and talked with local governors. They also understand what sustainable agriculture is and are working hard to realize it. All EU-supported projects and programs are aligned with and support this policy. What we try to avoid at all costs is herders losing their herds, their livelihood. With nothing left in the countryside, moving to the city is often the only choice, and adapting to a new urban lifestyle after following a pastoral tradition for generations is tremendously difficult. Ensuring opportunities for sustainable herding benefits both the environment and the well-being of herders. FOCUSING MORE ON AIR POLLUTION AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN COMING YEARS - How is the progress on the 2021–2027 EU mid-term program being implemented in Mongolia, especially considering the unforeseen challenge of COVID-19? - There have been no regressions in results, only minor delays in timelines. We quickly responded to the pandemic by shifting some activities online and introducing new measures as needed. We also implemented projects aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and adapting to post-pandemic conditions. - You noted that EU projects and programs are well aligned with the Mongolian government’s policies and priorities. As ambassador, what will you focus on in the coming years, and what policies and principles will guide your work? - We plan to place more focus on public health, especially air pollution. This requires the effort and participation of everyone. European banks show great interest in working with the government on this issue. Secondly, we focus on ensuring and strengthening media freedom and independence. After a period of decline in press freedom rankings, Mongolia advanced by seven places this year to rank 102nd. This is progress, and the government has submitted a new law to improve the legal environment. We believe this will bring further advancements. Freedom of the press is fundamental to democratic governance because it guarantees citizens' right to information. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the unlimited flow of information, fake news and propaganda have increased. It is up to people to verify the credibility of sources and check information. Professional journalists have a key role in this, and we want to emphasize this point. Another focus is to support women, especially increasing women's participation at the decision-making level. Even a little support can empower Mongolian women to lead change and reforms.

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Kiosk Operators Say They Were Not Given Prior Notice or Alternative Solutions, and Their Participation Was Not Ensured

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

Kiosk operators filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission regarding the violation of their rights and went on hunger strike. In response, the NHRC carried out an inspection as required by law and presented their findings on whether the implementation of the Ulaanbaatar City Governor's Order A/237 violated human rights. Firstly, it was found that providing general information, prior notification, proposing possible alternatives, and ensuring participation by citizens were not sufficiently addressed. This may have restricted the kiosk operators' right to approach the courts on the grounds of possible violations of their rights. Secondly, due to inadequate preparation, some citizens' rights were violated during the eviction process: property was damaged, there was inhumane treatment, and the process of relocation, which was done through third parties, was not properly organized or managed. Necessary measures to prevent human rights violations were not taken during this process. Furthermore, during this inspection, district officials were advised to individually meet with citizens who made complaints or suggestions, conduct effective negotiations, respect human rights and freedoms during relocation processes, avoid damaging the property of others, and report back to the NHRC about the results of their actions in this regard. However, it appears these recommendations have not yet been implemented.

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Mongolian Ambassador to Thailand A.Tömör Requested Not to Publicize News of His Wife's Death from Falling

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

L.Orkhon, the wife of A.Tömör, the Ambassador of Mongolia to the Kingdom of Thailand, tragically passed away after falling from the 17th floor of a high-rise building in the Khlong Toei district of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. According to reports in the Thai press, the police are speculating that the incident may be related to emotional distress. When we inquired with an official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia as to whether they had received formal information about the incident, they responded: "We have received information. However, the family requested that this information not be made public, as they have young children and are emotionally vulnerable at this time. Therefore, they have asked for the information not to be disclosed." Meanwhile, according to unofficial sources, the case is under investigation by the legal authorities in Thailand, and the family of the deceased has been formally interviewed. Currently, no one has been detained or subject to any preventive measures in connection with the case.

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R. Erdeneburen: "We cannot allow everyone to drive and block the roads just because they have private property"

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

We interviewed R. Erdeneburen, Chairman of the National Committee for the "20-Minute City", about current issues. In recent days, he has started introducing the amendments to the law “On reducing traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar City and housing the ger districts” and related legislative projects to party groups. This project proposes the establishment of a new "Ger District Development Fund," to be added to the government’s existing 26 special funds. We inquired further about other changes being made. - PAY YOUR TAXES THEN GET YOUR ROADS FIXED - Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar drafted and passed the law "On reducing traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar and housing ger districts" through Parliament in December 2023. What amendments are you looking to make? The plan is to establish a new "Ger District Development Fund" in connection with housing developments in the Selbe sub-center. Was it really necessary to add a new fund on top of the government's 26 existing funds? As the minister in charge of congestion, it’s noteworthy that you are also handling housing projects. Can you comment on this? It’s difficult to claim the law passed by Parliament belongs to one person or another. The reason we found it necessary to amend the law is directly linked to housing development at the "Selbe sub-center." Many sites have been cleared in Selbe, and a tender for constructing new housing has been announced. The plan is to create a large, well-developed city with schools, kindergartens, roads, and 10,000 apartments with infrastructure. These housing units will be used to relocate residents from cleared areas. I understand that the new apartments in Selbe sub-center will be leased to citizens with the option to buy. How will this fund be financed? They will be sold in various ways. Unless we establish a fund to manage this, it’s unclear where the revenue from these sales will go. Will it go into the city's budget? We need clarity, which was lacking in the previous law. Additionally, these amendments transfer some powers, such as vehicle inspections, to the city. The city must have some involvement in these matters. As for paid zones or toll roads, as is being discussed now, they will not be introduced. This was in the previous draft law, but the government decided not to introduce new taxes for a certain period, so the paid zone provision was excluded. Does this mean the topic of paid zones won’t be revisited? In general, toll roads and paid zones are common globally. However, we believe it is appropriate to introduce them only after we have a variety of public transportation options. Under the law you and Mayor Nyambaatar discussed, the mayor’s powers have increased. As a result, vehicles with provincial plates staying in Ulaanbaatar for more than 48 hours will now be charged 5,000 MNT per day, and residents are buying Ulaanbaatar plates at high prices. From June 1, 2025, cars older than 10 years will not be eligible for Ulaanbaatar license plates. Isn’t this concentrating all powers in the mayor and devaluing private property, possibly violating the Constitution? Do you think this is right? We cannot allow everyone to simply drive their own cars and block the city just because they own private property. You should solve congestion with policy, not by violating people’s rights to property and movement. Why are you infringing on these rights? What is policy? Tax policy is the state’s way of organizing things. What other policy should there be? For example, imports can be restricted by customs. What road construction, intersection expansions, and bridges are being built? Shouldn’t you first fix the roads before restricting people’s right to drive? Building new roads, expanding intersections, upgrading four-way crossings to multi-level crossings all require hundreds of billions in budget. We can only expand the roads you want by collecting taxes from citizens. Furthermore, all of this depends on planning and funding. How can we do it without money? - I CANNOT BOAST EVERY MORNING THAT I AM WORKING - The capital has a large budget, as you know? You and I both drive. If we want to drive without congestion, we have to pay taxes. You cannot demand road expansion without paying taxes. Tax revenue is being used for road construction. However, we currently see no need for a paid zone. Generations have always said, "Let’s think of the people, there is opposition," which has led to the current situation. In fact, the decisions you and Mr. Nyambaatar are making are ineffective. For example, by limiting the sale of 20,000 license plates, you inflated their prices. Isn’t all this putting a burden on citizens? No, no. If we both want to drive freely, let's pay the taxes. That money should be used to repair the roads. This year, we’ve paid all kinds of extra charges for our vehicles. What new roads will you build with that money this summer? The city has published a list of new roads to be built. Four-way intersections will be turned into multi-level crossings. Citizens should monitor whether vehicle fees are being used for roadworks as intended. Tax increases are applied based on research. You’ve been in charge of congestion since last July. People are wondering what you’ve done. What have you achieved? I cannot stand up every morning and boast about what I do just to show I am working. I can’t list things or claim to do this or that by a certain date. It is my view that we must plan professionally for the long term, even hire foreign consultants, and involve citizens in the planning process. That’s why we talk about the 14 cities. The main goal is to bring planning to citizens, consult with them, and make decisions together, hence the division into 14 cities. How does dividing Ulaanbaatar into 14 cities connect to efforts to reduce congestion? What is the goal? Will it burden citizens further? The Law on the Legal Status of Cities and Villages was adopted by the previous parliament. It has been a year. The principle is sound and is a global trend. Instead of a sprawling megacity, the focus is to bring services closer to citizens. By dividing into 14 cities, local residents will be better served by state services and urban planning. They can access schools, kindergartens, and cultural services from their own city. Is such an opportunity possible with the current chaotic planning? There is a lack of information about this law among citizens. Even new MPs are arguing whether this law is constitutional or not. That’s why the implementation, which was supposed to start on June 1, has been postponed for a thorough discussion and review.

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Warning: Advertisement Offering 'Cheap Apartment Rentals' Posted, 9.4 Million MNT Defrauded from Three Citizens

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

With special authorization from the MPA agency to use the photos: An incident has been reported to the police where multiple citizens were deceived at once via advertisements posted online claiming that apartments were available for rent. Specifically, between May 5 and 7 of this year, an individual using the name Bat-Orgil posted an advertisement in the Darkhan-Uul province classifieds group stating, "Cheap apartments for rent," and fraudulently obtained a total of 9,400,000 MNT from three citizens. The police department of the province is currently investigating this act. The perpetrators of such crimes typically copy photos from genuine rental postings or forge property certificates to deceive and mislead citizens seeking to rent, thereby fraudulently obtaining their property. In the first four months of this year, 5,744 fraud cases have been registered with the police, accounting for 30.9% of all crimes. The police are investigating 41 cases specifically related to fraud involving rental services. The General Police Department warns citizens not to give opportunities to individuals aiming to make easy money to infringe upon your property rights. Notice: Media organizations (TV, radio, social media, and websites) are strictly prohibited from fully or partially using our information in any form. Usage is only permitted if agreed upon in advance and the original source (ikon.mn) is credited.

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Urgent: Reports That the Wife of Mongolia’s Ambassador to Thailand, L.Orkhon, Has Died After a Fall From Height

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: isee.mn

Multiple Thai media outlets have reported that in the early hours of last Friday, L. Orkhon, the wife of Mongolia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, A. Tumur, tragically died after falling from the 17th floor of a high-rise building located in the Khlong Toei District of Bangkok. According to the Thai news site “Thai Examiner,” the police have speculated that the incident may be related to mental health issues. The “Thai News Reports” website also reported on this incident, highlighting that it occurred on the 17th floor of a residential building in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei District. At present, neither Mongolia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Embassy in Thailand has issued an official statement. The case is currently under investigation by Thai law enforcement authorities. This tragic incident has drawn significant public attention, and we will provide further details on the circumstances as soon as they become available. Additionally, it is being circulated online that Ambassador A. Tumur may be the son of former Chief of the Constitutional Court, M. Amarsanaa.

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Investigation Launched to Determine Cause of Death of Ambassador's Wife in Thailand

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: unuudur.mn

Mongolian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, A. Tumur's wife tragically died after falling from a height at around 1:09 AM during the night of the 8th to 9th of this month, an incident that was prominently reported by local Thai online media on the same day. The Ambassador's 41-year-old wife, L. Orkhon, fell from the 17th floor of their building to the 4th floor and died before receiving medical assistance. The police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to this unfortunate event to determine the cause of her death. Some Thai online media reported that a loud commotion occurred just before the incident, disturbing the peace of the residents, and that the building's security personnel were informed of this. However, over the past weekend, these media outlets have since deleted their published reports regarding the event. Ambassador A. Tumur presented his credentials to the King of Thailand in October 2020. According to Thai online media, the late Mrs. L. Orkhon was involved in activities supporting children with special needs.

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Innovation

A Data Center for the Gobi Region to Be Established in Umnugovi Province

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

In addition to expanding fiber optic cable networks to 13 points in the Gobi region, a data center will be established in Umnugovi Province. For the Gobi region’s development as an industrial specialty and green energy subzone, integrating and improving the energy, communications, and digital infrastructure is crucial. Mongolia has several advantages in this area, including abundant energy resources, favorable climate conditions, geographical location, and low risk of natural disasters. The Ministry of Digital Development and Communications emphasized the importance of establishing a new international data center market and economic environment, focusing on updating legal frameworks, attracting foreign investment to international data centers, ensuring reliable operations, data protection, security, and investment environments based on renewable energy. They also highlighted the need to create mechanisms for green financing, land allocation, energy supply, tax incentives, and to implement a national strategy for data centers from 2025 to 2030. There will be active collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as active participation in regional cable infrastructure. It is projected that the global data center market will increase by an average of 10–12 percent annually by 2030. International organizations and major data centers are seeking regions with low-cost, stable sources of energy, and are showing an increasing tendency to enter new markets.

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Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Mongolia is aiming to establish a unified database based on big data in order to optimize, streamline, and improve the efficiency of its services. To achieve this, the Ministry plans to update its processing software for big data, modernize its infrastructure, enhance the capacity of its employees, build the database, and use this data for service delivery. As a first step, they will introduce the big data model and planning to the ministry’s staff and affiliated organizations. By having a unified database, the sector will be able to integrate, organize, and reliably store all relevant information using an advanced system. This will also improve the quality and accessibility of social protection services and have a real positive impact on the quality of life.

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It is Now Possible to Centrally Receive Passenger Information

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: montsame.mn

The Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (CAA), the Passenger Information Center, and the international SITA company have signed a tripartite service agreement for a one-stop window for Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data. This international agreement aims to enhance the border security of Mongolia and strengthen the country's passenger information management capabilities. The Passenger Information Center, through SITA's secure global data channels, now enables the consolidated reception of API and PNR data, with SITA collaborating with governments and airline authorities in over 60 countries worldwide. According to the CAA, this agreement is an important step towards fulfilling the "Facilitation of Air Transport" requirement of the Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation, implementing UN Security Council resolutions for combating international terrorism and serious crime, as well as enforcing the government's regulation for the facilitation of air transport.

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Premium Innova Company Officially Introduces the Alu Flex Slab Formwork System

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: ikon.mn

Premium Corporation’s subsidiary, Premium Innova, is expanding its operations in the construction sector by officially launching rental and sales services for the Alu Flex slab formwork system, which accelerates productivity. ALU-FLEX SLAB FORMWORK
This easy-to-assemble, productivity-boosting, lightweight system addresses the challenges of traditional, heavy, and labor-intensive floor slab formworks with a modern, internationally standard innovative solution, offering the following key advantages to its customers. PHENOLIC-COATED BIRCH PLYWOOD PANELS
Alu Flex panels are made from seven layers of birch plywood coated with phenolic resin, allowing for 40 to 60 uses. The formwork frame joints are sealed with flexible waterproof sealant to protect against moisture. The smooth plywood surface creates an even, glossy finish, saving additional levelling costs. 3-5 TIMES FASTER AND LABOR-SAVING SOLUTION
The intelligent structure is lightweight and composed of few parts, enabling assembly and disassembly by just 2-3 assistants without requiring professional carpenters. Built from modern materials, the birch panel and lightweight aluminum support system make assembly and removal easy, saving labor and boosting productivity. TIDY WITH FEWER COMPONENTS
The Alu Flex system is more rigid and has fewer parts, requiring 1.5-2 times fewer props, providing enough space between props for workers to move freely. The reduced components increase workplace safety and make transportation, assembly, and disassembly easier. INTELLIGENT SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT REMAINS IN PLACE
The supports remain after the slab is poured, allowing the formwork for one floor to be reused on the next. Support columns extend from 1965mm to 3500mm, letting you adjust to your project needs, while the high-density aluminum material ensures excellent load-bearing capacity. We also offer complete packages tailored to project scope, along with assembly instructions and consulting services. ACCELERATING PRODUCTIVITY
Premium Innova operates in the construction material trade, and its subsidiaries Premium Concrete and Premium Building Materials are leaders in the concrete supply industry. Since its inception, as of 2025, they have supplied over 3.3 million cubic meters of concrete to more than 1,000 building and infrastructure projects. Contact:
Phone: 7777-3311
Email: Info@premiuminnova.mn
FB: Premium Building Materials Notice
Media organizations (TV, radio, social and web pages) are prohibited from using our information in whole or in part in any form, unless agreed upon, in which case the original source (ikon.mn) must be cited.

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Health

Child hospitalized with meningococcal infection

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

A young child from Tuvshinshiree soum, Sukhbaatar province, who has been infected with meningococcal disease, is currently in serious condition and receiving hospital treatment, according to officials. The National Center for Infectious Diseases reported that “at around 21:00 on May 6, 2025, a suspected case of meningococcal infection was reported. A joint team from NCID and the National Center for Maternal and Child Health promptly responded and have been working non-stop for three days. Doctors from the provincial general hospital are also working in the soum. Although the child’s condition is severe, he had a relatively stable night last night. The cause of meningitis has been confirmed by laboratory tests,” specialists said. As of today, 1,723 confirmed cases of measles have been registered, and 1,185 of these patients have fully recovered. There are 275 patients being treated in hospitals, while 263 are receiving care at home. "A total of 43.7 percent of cases are among children aged 10-14. For example, among 10 people who were with an infected person, did not get vaccinated, and had not previously contracted the disease, 9 out of 10 are infected, which is a very high rate. Most cases are being detected in schools, and the number of cases is rising. Measles outbreaks have been registered in more than 50 schools. As of today, 93.4 percent of those treated at the NCID have been discharged. Also, confirmed cases in Arkhangai, Umnugovi, Dundgovi, Dornogovi, and Tuv provinces are being treated in hospitals," reported N. Suvdmaa, unit head of the NCID.

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Sports

Will Mongolia Grant Citizenship to Foreign Athletes for Olympic Achievement?

Published: 2025-05-12 | Translated from: news.mn

In recent years, global competition in sports has intensified, prompting countries around the world to make success at the Olympic Games and World Championships a matter of government policy. In this context, many countries have begun granting citizenship to highly successful foreign athletes, enabling them to compete under their own flag. Mongolia is also following this trend, working to amend the Law on Citizenship to include a provision for granting Mongolian citizenship to foreigners who have achieved or have the potential to achieve Olympic success. The draft proposes to add the words “in a sport included in the Olympic Games program, or” after the phrase “having professional qualifications” in Article 9, Section 3 of the Law on Citizenship. A working group has been officially established to draft amendments to the Citizenship Law, aiming to legally allow foreign athletes with the potential for Olympic-level achievement to become citizens of Mongolia. The main goal of this change is to support the development of Mongolian sports and to enhance the country's reputation by achieving better results at international competitions. In today's world, sports are not only about physical strength and talent, but have also become a form of "soft power" for countries, making this change a strategic step. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Many countries have implemented such policies to simplify citizenship for highly skilled foreign athletes. For example, Kazakhstan has granted citizenship to foreign athletes in wrestling and judo, allowing them to compete for Kazakhstan and win multiple medals—the most notable being G. Otgontsetseg, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics for Kazakhstan. Qatar has also proactively implemented a "sports citizenship" policy, granting citizenship to athletes of African origin who have achieved great success in track and field. Similarly, countries like Russia and the USA have established mechanisms to grant citizenship based on sporting achievement, within certain limits. These experiences demonstrate that sports citizenship is not just a matter of personal interest for the athlete, but a strategic national policy. POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF LEGAL AMENDMENTS
Including such changes in the citizenship law could bring several positive effects to Mongolia. First, attracting athletes who have the potential to win Olympic and World Championship medals would enhance Mongolia’s reputation on the international stage. Second, collaborating and training with elite foreign athletes within the same team would help improve the skills and training standards of young Mongolian athletes. Third, such state support for sports could inspire public confidence, resulting in increased donations and investment in the sports sector. POTENTIAL RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS
However, there are certain risks that must be considered when implementing such policies. Citizenship should not be granted based solely on short-term success; the long-term contribution of the individual to Mongolia is also important. If the criteria for granting citizenship are unclear or too flexible, it could give rise to issues such as "citizenship brokerage" driven by political interests. Additionally, if the athlete were to change their citizenship again or abandon Mongolia after achieving success, it could negatively impact the country's reputation. For example, judoka G. Otgontsetseg has reportedly not been able to restore her Mongolian citizenship to date. While including provisions to grant citizenship to foreigners based on sporting achievement in support of sports development aligns with international practice and can be seen as a sound move, this policy should be designed for long-term benefit rather than fleeting success. Criteria must be clear and accountability high. Granting citizenship should not be based solely on achievement, but also on the person's overall contribution to Mongolian society, sports, and culture. If this draft law is enacted with a balanced approach, Mongolia will be better positioned for confident and broad participation in international sports competitions.

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Today's Stories

Politics

Economy

Diplomacy

Infrastructure

Society

Innovation

Health

Sports

Politics

Avoiding Mega Project Implementation and Starting to Politicize the Budget

O.Tsogtgerel: The Government's Planned Tax Law Reforms Are Gradually Disappearing

BREAKING: Z.Sanjdorj sentenced to 9.6 years, D.Byambajav to 9 years in prison for treason and collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency

Pension Reform Is One of the Government's Top Policy Priorities

It is Appropriate for Articles 6.5, 6.8, and 11.4 to Remain in the Law on Freedom of the Press

The MPP Group Meeting Heard a Preliminary Introduction on the Draft Revised Law on the Development Bank

Our State's Maniac Policy!

Citizens Demanding the Prime Minister's Son to Prove His Income, but the Democratic Party Faction in the Coalition Government Remains Silent

VIDEO: The case of Garid, son of the late UBTZ director D. Jigjidnyamaa, who changed the form of his bribe money and purchased a six-story hotel, has been transferred to court

Economy

The 20 Percent Fee on Income from Contract Work Will Be Stopped

Consumer Goods and Services Prices in Ulaanbaatar Increased by 9.8% Compared to 2024

Domestic Trade Sales Revenue Reached 14.1 Trillion MNT in the First Quarter

G.Enkhbat: The Asia Securities Forum is a Strategic Window to Attract Investors

"Made in Mongolia-2025" Expo to Be Held in Sydney

Representatives of the Bank of Mongolia Attended the Asian Development Bank's Annual Meeting

The MPP Group is Discussing the Development Bank

2130 Types of Products from SME Entrepreneurs Showcased in Budapest

An executive of a named company transferred to court for evading taxes by reducing VAT amount by ₮51.8 million

Proposal to Increase the Monthly MRTV Household Fee to 2,500 MNT

Diplomacy

Mongolia Removed from Japan's 'List of Countries Requiring Special Attention' for Visa Screening, Joins Top 12 Countries with High Visa Issuance Rates Alongside South Korea and Singapore

Standing Committee Chairmen Meet with World Bank Representatives

Mongolia and Hungary to Expand Cooperation in Tourism

Mayor Kh. Nyambaatar Visits Hungary with a Delegation of 150 for Experience Exchange

Leaders of Chinese Tourism Companies Familiarize Themselves with Ulaanbaatar City

The EU Ambassador to Mongolia, Ina Marciulionyte, was Received

Infrastructure

No state number plates will be issued to cars older than 10 years in the capital starting next month

V. Putin Expresses Interest in Building a Small Nuclear Power Plant in Mongolia During Meeting with President U. Khurelsukh in Moscow

Direct Flights from South Korea to Murun, Khuvsgul to Begin

From June 1, vehicles older than 10 years will no longer be issued new Ulaanbaatar registration numbers

A Center for Construction Materials and Raw Materials Import Supply and Logistics Will Be Established in the Zamyn-Uud Free Economic Zone

UMNUGOVI: Emphasizing the Importance of Water for Major Projects in the Gobi Region

Governor of Dundgovi Province S. Munkhchuluun Emphasizes the Need to Expand the UB-DUA-OMA Road to Four Lanes

Nisekh Roundabout is Being Redeveloped for 15 Billion

It has been decided to implement 38 projects in the Gobi region

From May 15, heating will be stopped and hot water will be limited in some areas

Schedule of Electricity Restrictions in Ulaanbaatar and Tuv Province on May 13

E. Nindev: A new regulation for registering Sur-Ron and mopeds for road use has been introduced

Surron and Mopeds to be Subjected to Inspection and Registration

Darkhan Metallurgical Plant Invites Cooperation in Housing Project

Society

By attending "Europe Day", you can get information on how to participate in Schengen visa and scholarship programs

Mayor Kh.Nyambaatar Criticized for 'Leading a 150-Member Delegation' on a Costly Trip to Hungary

INA MARCIULIONYTE: We Strive to Support Mongolia in Every Way to Make It a Youth-Friendly and Livable Country

Kiosk Operators Say They Were Not Given Prior Notice or Alternative Solutions, and Their Participation Was Not Ensured

Mongolian Ambassador to Thailand A.Tömör Requested Not to Publicize News of His Wife's Death from Falling

R. Erdeneburen: "We cannot allow everyone to drive and block the roads just because they have private property"

Warning: Advertisement Offering 'Cheap Apartment Rentals' Posted, 9.4 Million MNT Defrauded from Three Citizens

Urgent: Reports That the Wife of Mongolia’s Ambassador to Thailand, L.Orkhon, Has Died After a Fall From Height

Investigation Launched to Determine Cause of Death of Ambassador's Wife in Thailand

Innovation

A Data Center for the Gobi Region to Be Established in Umnugovi Province

Social Welfare Services to be Digitalized

It is Now Possible to Centrally Receive Passenger Information

Premium Innova Company Officially Introduces the Alu Flex Slab Formwork System

Health

Child hospitalized with meningococcal infection

Sports

Will Mongolia Grant Citizenship to Foreign Athletes for Olympic Achievement?

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