1 MONGOLIA MARKS CENTENNIAL WITH A NEW COURSE FOR CHANGE WWW.EASTASIAFORUM.ORG PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      2 E-MART OPENS FIFTH STORE IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, TARGETING K-FOOD CRAZE WWW.BIZ.CHOSUN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      3 JAPAN AND MONGOLIA FORGE HISTORIC DEFENSE PACT UNDER THIRD NEIGHBOR STRATEGY WWW.ARMYRECOGNITION.COM  PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      4 CENTRAL BANK LOWERS ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 5.2% WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      5 L. OYUN-ERDENE: EVERY CITIZEN WILL RECEIVE 350,000 MNT IN DIVIDENDS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      6 THE BILL TO ELIMINATE THE QUOTA FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN MONGOLIA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      7 THE SECOND NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CENTER TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      8 GREEN BOND ISSUED FOR WASTE RECYCLING WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      9 BAGANUUR 50 MW BATTERY STORAGE POWER STATION SUPPLIES ENERGY TO CENTRAL SYSTEM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      10 THE PENSION AMOUNT INCREASED BY SIX PERCENT WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      КОКС ХИМИЙН ҮЙЛДВЭРИЙН БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫГ ИРЭХ ОНЫ ХОЁРДУГААР УЛИРАЛД ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     "ЭРДЭНЭС ТАВАНТОЛГОЙ” ХК-ИЙН ХУВЬЦАА ЭЗЭМШИГЧ ИРГЭН БҮРД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГ ӨНӨӨДӨР ОЛГОНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГИЙН ОРЛОГО 2040 ОНД 38 ИХ НАЯДАД ХҮРЭХ ТӨСӨӨЛӨЛ ГАРСАН WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ЭРДЭНЭС ОЮУ ТОЛГОЙ” ХХК-ИАС ХЭРЛЭН ТООНО ТӨСЛИЙГ ӨМНӨГОВЬ АЙМАГТ ТАНИЛЦУУЛЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ: ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГААС НЭГ ИРГЭНД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГИЙН ХАДГАЛАМЖ ҮҮСЛЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ENTRÉE RESOURCES” 2 ЖИЛ ГАРУЙ ҮРГЭЛЖИЛСЭН АРБИТРЫН МАРГААНД ЯЛАЛТ БАЙГУУЛАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ORANO MINING”-ИЙН ГЭРЭЭ БОЛОН ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД БООМТЫН ТӨСЛИЙН АСУУДЛААР ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР ХУРАЛДАЖ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     АЖИЛЧДЫН САРЫН ГОЛЧ ЦАЛИН III УЛИРЛЫН БАЙДЛААР ₮2 САЯ ОРЧИМ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     PROGRESSIVE EQUITY RESEARCH: 2025 ОН “PETRO MATAD” КОМПАНИД ЭЭЛТЭЙ БАЙХААР БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     2026 ОНЫГ ДУУСТАЛ ГАДААД АЖИЛТНЫ ТОО, ХУВЬ ХЭМЖЭЭГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХГҮЙ БАЙХ ХУУЛИЙН ТӨСӨЛ ӨРГӨН МЭДҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19    

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MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

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Patients Languish as Health Centers Focus on Coronavirus www.globalpressjournal.com

Erdenet, Orkhon province — As Bayarmaa Badarch sits in the hospital waiting room, she has more on her mind than just her ultrasound appointment. She usually receives free, regular checkups at her local family health center. But the ultrasound equipment at her family practice is broken. And because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, her doctor hasn’t been able to have it fixed or replaced.
This has forced Bayarmaa, who is six months pregnant, to turn to a private hospital, where she doesn’t know the doctor and treatment comes at a high cost. For her ultrasound, Bayarmaa will need to pay 45,000 Mongolian togrogs (about $16). The average monthly income in Mongolia is about 1,343,428 togrogs ($510), according to 2019 data from the national statistics office.
It’s a frustrating situation, but Bayarmaa says she has no choice. “There is no other option than this to give birth to a healthy baby,” she says.
Family health centers form the bedrock of Mongolia’s health care system, providing medical care for 70% of the population. About 2.4 million people rely on the centers for their primary health care, and Mongolians pay monthly health insurance contributions that entitle them to free treatment.
But because of the pandemic, family health centers are strained beyond capacity. “We are dedicating the majority of our annual budget to fighting against the coronavirus,” says Oyungerel Sanduijav, a doctor who works at a family health center in Erdenet, the capital of Orkhon province in northern Mongolia. As a result, she says, they haven’t been able to repair or replace broken equipment, or perform certain examinations and diagnostic tests.
Her center has run through its entire annual reserve of medicine to treat anxiety, hypertension and heart pain in just three months, she says, because patients have experienced high levels of those conditions when getting tested or vaccinated.
Nasanbuyan Demberelkhuu’s documents show he has paid his health insurance premiums for the past two decades, but he says he has been unable to obtain the medical care he needs.
The problem is national, says Khajidmaa Shagdarkhuu, executive director of the Mongolian Association of Family Medicine Specialists.
“Family health centers are working at full capacity, but some services are failing due to a lack of budget,” Khajidmaa says. “This is an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”
Patients have also become frustrated at their inability to access routine care. “It seems like there is no other disease except for coronavirus,” says Altantsetseg Batnasan, a resident of Orkhon province.
Nasanbuyan Demberelkhuu, who also lives in Orkhon province, says he has been unable to obtain a simple urine test to check the health of his kidneys. “I live without being able to enjoy my right to get medical services, even though I paid my health insurance fees monthly,” he says.
And Ulam-Orgikh Tserendorj, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy two years ago, says he requires physical therapy every two weeks to combat his constant headaches. But he hasn’t been able to get an appointment for the past seven months.
“When I go to the family hospital, they say that therapy would not be done because the apparatus is broken,” Ulam-Orgikh says. “They said that they would call me once the therapy is available. I do not know how long I have to wait.”
Oyungerel says the government’s focus on the coronavirus pandemic has come at the expense of patients and staff. “If they solve everything at the same time, it will be easier for us medical employees to carry out our duties,” she says.
Government officials acknowledge the challenges that medical providers face and say they are working to address the issues, but decline to offer specifics.
“We met with family health centers and got acquainted with the situation,” says Batsukh Buyantogtokh, head of the Health Care Policy and Implementation Coordination Department at the Ministry of Health. “We are working to solve the problems. It is not an easy problem to solve. It will take time to fully resolve.”
In the meantime, Khajidmaa, of the Mongolian Association of Family Medicine Specialists, says doctors and nurses will keep pushing the government to provide funding for treatment and equipment, as well as to increase pay for health care workers at family health centers.
“We will fight,” she says, “until we get these issues solved completely.”
BY: Khorloo Khukhnokhoi is a Global Press Journal reporter based in Mongolia. Born and raised in Uvs province, she was a television journalist prior to joining Global Press Journal.
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Terminal for container transportation at Gashuunsukhait to be operated by public and private companies www.montsame.mn

The new terminal for container transportation at Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint is currently undergoing the inspection of the State Commission. The terminal’s construction was financed by Energy Resource LLC, Erdenes Tavantolgoi JSC, and Tavantolgoi JSC.
A joint financing agreement for the construction of buildings and roads at the terminal has been established between the sides. Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry G.Yondon, Erdenes Tavantolgoi CEO B.Gankhuyag, Tavantolgoi CEO J.Dorjsuren, and Energy Resource CEO G.Battsengel signed the agreement.
With this, the companies will be in charge of the costs for the construction of the terminal buildings and roads as well as the activities to be carried out in the project framework.
Using containers to transport coal through the Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint, it increases the capacity of export and prevents the quality of coal from degrading, alongside reducing the environmental impact. A study has also found that the annual coal export is estimated to increase by 8-10 million tons as a result, reported the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry.
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China eyes off Trans-Pacific trade pact www.nhk.or.jp

The major trade pact known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was once seen as a counterweight to China's regional influence. But now, the world's second-biggest economy wants in too. The move is being seen as a way of blocking Taiwan's entry, while simultaneously countering Washington's increasing attempts to keep Beijing in check.
The CPTPP comprises 11 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The United States withdrew in 2017, and remains reluctant to rejoin.
Move poses questions for Biden
China's main incentive as a prospective new member is to counter Washington. US President Joe Biden recently hosted the so-called Quad summit with Australia, India and Japan. Although the four leaders did not mention China by name, it's clear the meeting was held in part to stifle Beijing's influence.
China's attempt to join the pact poses a dilemma for Biden. He will need to quickly decide whether to rejoin, or sit back and let the current members determine whether to allow China onboard. And he does not appear to have much room for error when it comes to foreign policy. Biden's approval rating has plunged following his decision to stick with the US military's full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The ensuing chaos shocked the world.
Beijing turns to Asia
Beijing's souring relationship with Europe is another incentive for it to join the CPTPP. The European Parliament has decided to freeze a massive investment deal with China amid tensions over human right issues. The situation, coupled with China's apparent economic slowdown amid the global pandemic, has seen Beijing turn to Asia instead.
And last but not least is Beijing's intent to block Taiwan from joining the CPTPP. China's increasing military activity in the South China Sea has prompted other countries to strengthen economic ties with Taiwan. Washington's decision to reopen talks with Taiwan on establishing a trade and investment framework is one example.
High hurdles to join
The chances of China actually joining the pact appear to be extremely slim. The country's protectionist policies raise doubts about whether it can meet CPTPP standards. Another barrier will be gaining consensus among the existing members. Australia could reject the idea amid increasing bilateral tensions. And Mexico, under pressure from Chinese manufacturing imports, might do the same. Japan, meanwhile, is more than discontent with the Chinese military's assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Yet at the same time, China is a bigger trading partner to most CPTPP members than the United States. Canada and Mexico are the only exceptions. And despite the slim odds of joining, China appears willing to use its political powers to pressure some members into watering down the admission requirements.
With or without China, the CPTPP looks certain to grow in future. Britain has started negotiations to join, while Thailand is also keen.
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Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness drops after 6 months, study shows www.reuters.com

The effectiveness of the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N)/BioNTech SE vaccine in preventing infection by the coronavirus dropped to 47% from 88% six months after the second dose, according to data published on Monday that U.S. health agencies considered when deciding on the need for booster shots.
The data, which was published in the Lancet medical journal, had been previously released in August ahead of peer review.
The analysis showed that the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death remained high at 90% for at least six months, even against the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The data suggests that the drop is due to waning efficacy, rather than more contagious variants, researchers said.
Researchers from Pfizer and Kaiser Permanente studied electronic health records of roughly 3.4 million people who were members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California between December 2020 - when the vaccine first became available - and August of 2021.
"Our variant-specific analysis clearly shows that the (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine is effective against all current variants of concern, including Delta," said Luis Jodar, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Pfizer vaccines.
A potential limitation of the study was a lack of data on adherence to masking guidelines and occupations in the study population, which could have affected frequency of testing and likelihood of exposure to the virus.
Vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variant was 93% after the first month, declining to 53% after four months. Against other coronavirus variants, efficacy declined to 67% from 97%.
"To us, that suggests Delta is not an escape variant that is completely evading vaccine protection," said study leader Sara Tartof with Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Department of Research & Evaluation.
"If it was, we would probably not have seen high protection after vaccination, because vaccination would not be working in that case. It would start low, and stay low."
Testing for variants is more likely to fail in vaccinated individuals, which could lead to overestimation of variant-specific effectiveness in the study, the authors cautioned.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for older adults and some Americans at high-risk of getting infected. Scientists have called for more data on whether boosters should be recommended for all.
Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot
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China’s metallurgical coal supply to remain tight even as Mongolian truck traffic rises www.hellenicshippingnews.com

China’s metallurgical coal supply was expected to remain tight over the near term, even as the number of Mongolian trucks hauling coal into the country rose to 500 per day in the week ended Sept. 30, up from a more than one-year low of 100 trucks per day in the week to Sept. 17, sources said Oct. 1.
Mongolian truck traffic into China hit a record of 2,233 trucks per day in August 2020, according to sources.
China is facing a severe shortage of metallurgical coal amid a historic rally in coking coal prices caused by a disruption in trade flows due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s unofficial ban on Australian coal since 2020.
Coking coal surpassed iron ore to become the most expensive input for steelmakers in September, Platts reported earlier.
The market was concerned if the volumes from Mongolia would keep up the momentum in the coming weeks, Beijing-based Founder CIFCO Futures said. Mongolia’s truck traffic had slowed due to recurring COVID-19 cases in the region, according to sources. China imports coal from Mongolia through the largest land border port Ganqimaodu in Inner Mongolia.
China’s stricter coronavirus-related checks at its borders and a bleak chance of Australian coal imports resuming in the near term were expected to keep the country’s metallurgical coal supply tight and prices elevated, according to Founder CIFCO.
Prices of domestic coking coal surged 68.4% from early August to Yuan 4,235/mt ($655.90/mt) Sept. 29 for premium hard coking coal in the Shanxi province, S&P Global Platts data showed.
Meanwhile, the Platts iron ore benchmark IODEX 62% Fe dipped to a more than one-year low of $94/dry mt Sept. 20, down 48.7% from early August, and lower by about 60% from an all-time high of $233.1/dmt in May, according to Platts data.
Demand remains bleak
China’s policy to curb energy consumption and carbon emissions have led to widespread steel output cuts, pressuring domestic metallurgical coal demand during the first two months of the fourth quarter, according to Fuzhou-based Changjiang Futures.
The country’s major coal hub Shanxi province has capped downstream coking output due to the curbs on energy consumption and slowed buying from the downstream sector because of higher metallurgical coal prices, sources said.
High metallurgical coal prices amid poor demand weakened the sentiment in the domestic metallurgical coal auction market, with some auctions being called off, Shenzhen-based Chaos Ternary Futures said.
China’s growing environmental controls on mines could also weigh on the domestic coal demand in the short term, Chinese industry analysts said.
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Australia says iron ore price expected to reach $150 by late 2021 www.mining.com

 
The iron ore price is expected to reach $150 per tonne by late 2021, before falling to $93 per tonne by the end of 2022, according to a report released by Australia’s department of industry, science, energy & resources.
 
“Falling domestic demand for steel in China due to slower construction activity and the implementation of a number of government policies has resulted in weaker iron ore prices,” the government said in its report.
 
“Key government policies in China are also having a significant impact on steel demand so far in the September 2021 quarter,”
 
Iron ore price and monthly China steel production
A major driver of China’s boom in demand for steel in the first half of 2021 was the considerable levels of fiscal accommodation provided by the government in response to the covid-19 pandemic. This included growth in total infrastructure investment of 30% year-on-year (3-month average) at the end of March.
 
However, according to the report, this stimulative spending now appears to be fading, with total infrastructure investment contracting in June for the first time in over 12 months.
 
Prices of iron ore and other commodities like aluminum rose on Monday.
 
According to Fastmarkets MB, benchmark 62% Fe fines imported into Northern China were changing hands for $117.12 a tonne, up 1.7% from Friday’s closing.
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Mongolia launches nationwide campaign to encourage personal saving www.xinhuanet.com

Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Monday launched a national campaign to encourage its citizens to save more money and instill a culture of saving across the country, according to the central bank.
The campaign is being organized on the occasion of the World Savings Day, which is celebrated every year on Oct. 31 across the world, the Bank of Mongolia said in a statement.
During the month-long campaign under the motto "Let's all save," the central bank and other relevant organizations are expected to hold numerous activities such as children's painting competition, online contests, training sessions and meetings to cultivate the habit of saving money and promote financial literacy.
The Asian country started marking the World Savings Day across the country since 2017.
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Mongolia to spend at least 1 pct of GDP on planting trees every year www.xinhuanet.com

Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will spend at least 1 percent of its GDP annually to plant trees, Yangug Sodbaatar, chief of staff of the president's office, said on Monday.
Sodbaatar made the remarks while presenting President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh's decree on planting one billion trees by 2030.
Mongolia aims to plant a billion trees by 2030 to combat climate change and desertification, Khurelsukh recently told the United Nations General Assembly.
"The national campaign to plant a billion trees begins today. In this regard, President Khurelsukh has issued a decree on obliging the government to spend annually at least 1 percent of the GDP on combating climate change and desertification or planting trees," Sodbaatar told a press conference.
The Asian country has a total land area of 1,564,116 square km and only 7.9 percent is now covered by forests.
Around 77 percent of the country's total territory has been affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
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Jade Gas debuted today with a Mongolian coal gas offering to lure ASX investors www.stockhead.com.au

With record gas prices prevalent through much of the northern hemisphere, Jade Gas Holdings (ASX:JGH) – formerly High Grade Metals – couldn’t have picked a better time to return to the ASX with its Mongolian coalbed methane project.
Shares in the company will commence trading today following the successful raising of $7.5m through its initial public offering to fund operations on the TT CBM project in Mongolia’s South Gobi Basin.
The TT CBM project (Jade 60%) is aimed at developing the coal seam gas resources of the Tovan Tolgoi coal field.
Notably, the project area is surrounded by Elixir Energy’s (ASX:EXR) Nomgon IX CBM project where drilling has intersected coals despite not having a defined coal resource.
Elixir also holds a certified best case prospective resource of 14.6 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Jade Gas will operate and manage the TT CBM project under its joint venture with Erdenes Methane (EM), the representative of the Mongolian Government that was awarded the PSA over the area in April 2020.
The company intends to produce gas that will displace the use of imported gas and gas liquids products as well as reducing the use of coal and diesel in the capital of Ulaanbaatar and regional areas.
Executive director Joseph Burke said the TTM CBM project had “enormous potential” in regards to Mongolia’s clean energy transition by reducing air pollution in Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolian coalbed methane
Mongolia has an abundance of coal deposits, making it the subject of significant exploration for coalbed methane (also known as coal seam gas).
Despite this, the landlocked nation is dependent on its neighbours Russia and China for energy supplies, making any CSG development valuable for its energy independence.
The Tovan Tolgoi coal field already hosts a coal resource of about 6 billion tonnes with initial drilling carried out in the second half of 2019, confirming the presence and depths of coal formations within the 20sqkm Borteeg area.
Additionally, RISC Advisory has estimated that the project hosts a gross best case prospective resource of 1Tcf of gas.
Jade Gas plans to improve its understanding of this resource by continuing technical studies and field activities, which will include drilling wells and sampling various coal measures.
As more data is collected, it plans to define a gas resource by establishing a multi-well production pilot to confirm production rates at a commercial level.
Planning for this pilot is expected to start later this year or early 2022 once the data from the 2021 work program is analysed.
The company also has a 66% interest in Baruun Naran Gas, a joint venture operating company formed to explore, develop and seek to produce coal seam gas from a coal mining licence held by joint venture partner Khangad Exploration.
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Coal surges to record as global scramble for energy accelerates www.bloomberg.com

Coal prices soared to their highest on record as China accelerated a global struggle for resources that has brought the dirtiest fossil fuel roaring back.
High-quality thermal coal loaded on ships at Newcastle port in Australia surged to $203.20 a ton, breaking the previous record set in July 2008. That’s the benchmark price for Asia, the world’s largest market for the fuel by far.
The rally comes during a global energy crunch that’s hitting China, the world’s biggest coal producer and consumer, especially hard. And as gas prices spike higher in Europe, there’s been a resurgence in demand for the fossil fuel that the continent’s policy makers have long been trying to phase out.
Still, there isn’t enough coal to go around. A German electricity producer closed one of its plants recently after it ran out of the fuel.
Earlier this week, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng ordered state-owned energy giants to secure fuel supplies for winter at any cost. China consumes and mines half the world’s coal, and it’s also the largest importer. The government told miners to keep digging even if they’ve exceeded their annual quota.
Prices for thermal coal tracked by IHS Markit and Argus have surged since late 2020 as demand rebounded from the depths of the pandemic and with substitute fuels like natural gas becoming more expensive. The emissions-heavy fuel is back in vogue just weeks before nations gather in Scotland for the COP26 summit on climate change.
Supply issues also boosted prices. China has struggled to raise output amid tighter safety controls following fatal accidents, while torrential rains, labor problems and transportation bottlenecks hampered exports from countries such as Indonesia, Australia, Colombia and South Africa, among others.
The Newcastle coal benchmark could average $190 a ton from October to December, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said in a note in September.
The gains come as the world plans to shift away from the emissions-intensive fuel in favor of renewable sources that will help reach net-zero targets. Even China aims to start reducing domestic consumption by 2026, and President Xi Jinping pledged to stop building new coal-fired power plants abroad.
In the short term, demand in key nations is proving resilient. Thermal power generation in China was 14% higher in the year through August than in the previous two years. Demand in 2022 could be marginally higher than this year, potentially rising 1%, said Shirley Zhang, a coal analyst with Wood Mackenzie Ltd.
(By Dan Murtaugh, with assistance from Ann Koh and Stephen Stapczynski)
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