Mongolia Strengthens Multisectoral Action to Accelerate Clean Household Energy Transition www.montsame.mn

Mongolia brought together high-level government leaders and key stakeholders to advance coordinated efforts towards a clean household energy transition.

The National Forum on a Stepwise Approach to Phasing Out Household Coal Use was jointly led by the Ministries of Health; Environment and Climate Change; Urban Development, Construction and Housing; and Energy, and the Governor’s Office of the Capital City, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).

At the Forum, the ministries, together with WHO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), launched the Call for Action for Clean Energy for Health, mobilizing coordinated action to accelerate Mongolia’s transition to clean household energy and advance the proposed “Roadmap for a Stepwise Approach to Phasing Out Household Coal Use, 2027–2040.” The roadmap provides a shared, phased framework for coordinating multisectoral action, guiding investment, and aligning implementation with the country’s health, air quality, energy, climate, housing, and social development priorities.

Household coal use remains a major source of air pollution, particularly in the ger areas of Ulaanbaatar, provincial centres and rural soum centres. In 2021, the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution were associated with an estimated 2,895 deaths in Mongolia. Children, pregnant women, older people, and people living with chronic conditions face particularly serious health risks.

Access to cleaner household energy also remains unequal. An estimated 76% of urban residents use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, compared with only 22% of rural residents. The transition must therefore respond to the diverse needs of urban, peri-urban, and rural households while ensuring that vulnerable and energy-poor families are not left behind.

During the Forum, Minister of Health Batshugar Enkhbayar said: “Transitioning to clean household energy is essential to protecting public health, preventing disease, and creating healthier and safer living environments. Building on existing policies and measures, including restrictions on raw coal use, the introduction of electric and gas heating solutions, and improvements in housing insulation, will be important to accelerating this transition.

Banks to Extend Loan Terms Up to 48 Months www.montsame.mn

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Mongolia has decided to allow the restructuring of consumer loans held by individuals experiencing financial difficulties.

Under the new arrangement, consumer loans subject to the debt-to-income (DTI) ratio limit may be restructured without additional lending, with their repayment periods extended by up to 48 months. Such restructuring will be exempt from the DTI ratio limit. The measure is expected to ease monthly repayment burdens for borrowers facing difficulties and help them resume regular loan repayments.

As of September 2026, the total assets of the banking sector had reached MNT 94.7 trillion, approximately half of which was allocated as loans. Outstanding consumer loans totaled MNT 13.7 trillion, of which MNT 8.5 trillion was subject to the 45% debt-to-income ratio limit. The remaining MNT 5.2 trillion comprised pension loans and loans secured by savings.

Of the MNT 8.5 trillion in loans subject to the DTI limit, MNT 6.3 trillion consisted of salary-backed loans, MNT 1.3 trillion of herder loans, and the remaining MNT 900 billion of other consumer loans. Accordingly, the new arrangement will apply to consumer loans subject to the DTI limit, including salary, herder, and car loans.

Narantsogt Sanjaa, Governor of the Bank of Mongolia, said, “Individuals experiencing financial difficulties can now extend their loan repayment periods by up to 48 months and reduce their monthly payments. Due to rising prices and other factors, the real incomes of many households have declined, while the number of people struggling to repay salary and herder loans has increased.

“For instance, the non-performing loan ratio among consumer loans subject to the debt-to-income limit reached 9.1% in September 2026, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from the same period last year. This has further intensified financial pressure on some borrowers who have taken out loans from multiple banks and financial institutions.

“Until now, banks had been unable to extend repayment periods through restructuring agreements with such customers. This was because the same debt-to-income and loan maturity restrictions applied to both new lending and loan restructuring.

“After reviewing this situation, the Monetary Policy Committee decided to allow consumer loans subject to the DTI limit, including salary, herder and car loans, to be restructured without additional lending, with repayment periods extended by up to 48 months. In other words, the DTI restriction will not apply to loans undergoing such restructuring.

“However, borrowers should be aware that extending the repayment period will increase the total amount of interest they pay. This measure is specifically intended for people experiencing genuine difficulties in repaying their loans.

“Restructuring will not be automatic. Borrowers must submit an application to the bank from which they obtained their loan. The bank will assess their financial situation in accordance with its internal procedures and decide whether to approve the restructuring. Where necessary, restructuring may be carried out more than once, provided that the total extension does not exceed 48 months.

“Banks will not change interest rates or issue additional loans as part of the restructuring. Rather, they will adjust the repayment schedule of existing loans to better match borrowers’ incomes. I would also like to emphasize that the 45% debt-to-income limit will remain in force for all newly issued loans,” he said.

The decision was formalized on November 3 and officially took effect commercially on November 4.

According to the Bank of Mongolia, as of September 2026, approximately 1.2 million borrowers had outstanding consumer loans. Of these, 66.4% had a debt-to-income ratio exceeding 45%, indicating that a significant proportion of borrowers have taken on debt that is high relative to their income.

Meanwhile, the Monetary Policy Committee reported that the financial cycle had approached its equilibrium level, while credit growth had slowed and cyclical risks had declined. Although prudential indicators in the banking sector remain within the requirements set by the Bank of Mongolia, risks associated with household debt burdens and the quality of consumer loans persist.

Mongolian president calls for natural resource dividends to go directly to citizens www.myanmaritv.com

Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh said on Tuesday that the country's first anticipated Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine dividends should be transferred directly to citizens' accounts as each tranche arrives. Khürelsükh requested that the 800 million dollars projected dividend from the Oyu Tolgoi project for 2027 go directly to citizens rather than being routed strictly into state-managed infrastructure funds.

He further stressed to the government members the need to take prompt measures to help citizens overcome the current economic challenges and give priority to boosting economic growth.

First Gelatin Factory to Process Livestock Byproducts Opens in Darkhan www.montsame.mn

A new gelatin factory, marking a significant development for Mongolia’s domestic leather-processing industry, was commissioned on November 3 in Darkhan-Uul aimag.

Darkhan Minj LLC established the “Mon Gelat” factory with a concessional loan under the “White Gold” National Movement initiated by the President of Mongolia. The factory’s launch was marked by the ceremonial start-up of its machinery.

The plant will use modern technology to process solid waste from livestock-derived raw materials, as well as animal hides and skins, into food-grade and industrial gelatin and water-soluble organic fertilizers for domestic and international markets.

The factory has an annual processing capacity of 300,000 cattle hides and is equipped with machinery sourced from five countries. It also has an integrated wastewater treatment system that allows 70% of wastewater to be treated and reused.

The commissioning of the plant is expected to create a new export-oriented product from livestock-derived raw materials for the first time in Mongolia, while reducing the environmental impact of the leather industry through the recycling of hides, skins, and other waste. The facility is also creating 50–80 permanent and temporary jobs in the region.

President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Members of Parliament elected from the central region, and local officials attended the opening ceremony.

Gelatin is a colorless and odorless protein obtained by processing collagen, a protein found in the skin, bones, tendons and connective tissues of animals. It is widely used in the food industry as a thickening, binding and gelling agent. Applications include making jelly, gummy candies and marmalade, improving the texture and stability of yogurt, ice cream and cake fillings, and helping solidify juices in canned meat and other meat products.

Researchers to Compare Samples to Assess Wildfire Damage in Numrug SPA www.montsame.mn

Nearly 24,000 hectares of forest in the Numrug Strictly Protected Area in Khalkhgol soum, Dornod aimag, were damaged by the wildfire that broke out on October 8, according to a preliminary damage assessment.

Detailed findings, including the fire’s severity and the age of the affected forests, will be determined following the completion of scientific analysis.

Researchers will also compare samples collected from Numrug with biomass samples gathered by the Botanical Garden in 2024 and 2025 to determine the extent of the fire’s impact on steppe ecosystem biomass.

A team of around 50 scientists, researchers, experts and officials has completed remote sensing data processing, field measurements and sample collection. The team is now analyzing the data, samples and measurement results. Once this work is complete, a comprehensive assessment of the environmental damage and expert conclusions will be prepared, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia reported.

The assessment is being carried out in several stages: preparation, field research, data processing, and the compilation and presentation of findings. A large team carried out the fieldwork, using helicopters to reach remote and inaccessible areas, conduct detailed surveys and collect samples. This allowed the team to complete the fieldwork ahead of schedule.

Sandag-Ochir Tsend, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Batbayar Shurenchuluun, State Secretary of the Ministry, met with members of the field team and reviewed the progress of their work and the preliminary findings.

According to the team, samples collected during the fieldwork are now being tested in the laboratory. The tests will determine whether plant roots and organic matter in the soil were burned, identify changes in soil properties and assess the fire’s effects on the ecosystem.

The ministry also noted that a detailed study of this scale had never before been conducted in the remote and hard-to-reach areas of the Numrug Strictly Protected Area. The findings will be important for accurately assessing the ecological damage caused by the wildfire and planning future measures on a scientific basis.

Mongolia’s September Molybdenum Output Recovers Month on Month but Remains 13.3% Lower Year on Year www.news.metal.com

Mongolia’s National Statistics Office reported September 2026 molybdenum concentrate output of 418.2 tonnes under the table’s contained-metal reporting basis, up 9.5% from August but down 13.3% from a year earlier. SMM calculates January–September output at 4,090.7 tonnes, up 6.4% year on year, with cumulative growth slowing from 9.2% in January–August. September output increased by 36.2 tonnes month on month but remained 64.1 tonnes below September 2025. The official table provides no company-level breakdown, so the operational drivers cannot yet be confirmed.

Russian Discount Retailer Fix Price Exits Mongolia www.themoscowtimes.com

The discount retail chain Fix Price has completely pulled out of Mongolia, with all three of its stores in the East Asian country having shut down by the end of September, the newspaper Vedomosti reported Monday, citing the company’s third-quarter 2026 financial results.

Fix Price did not publicly comment on the reasons behind the market exit.

Industry analysts told Vedomosti that Mongolia’s small market size and logistical challenges in the country likely made it difficult for Fix Price to run a sustainable business there.

Fix Price first entered Mongolia in January 2023, when it opened two franchise locations in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Inventory for those stores was delivered by truck from a distribution center in Novosibirsk across the border.

The chain briefly expanded to four locations by late 2025 before scaling back.

Besides its exit from Mongolia, Fix Price reduced its franchises in Kyrgyzstan from six to four stores and in the United Arab Emirates from four to three.

In contrast, Fix Price locations in Uzbekistan grew from 25 to 30, and it opened 10 new stores in Serbia over the three-month reporting period.

Founded in 2007, Fix Price is Russia’s largest value retailer with 8,219 stores across 10 countries. Belarus and Kazakhstan are its primary foreign markets with 411 and 408 stores, respectively.

In 2023, Fix Price moved its corporate jurisdiction from Cyprus to Kazakhstan after its 2021 initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange. 

China-Mongolia border port sees major cargo volume, value rise in Q1-Q3 www.bastillepost.com

Erenhot, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, posted major increases in both freight volume and trade value in the first three quarters of this year, according to local customs authorities.

In the period, import and export trade via the port reached a total value of 87.63 billion yuan (about 13.76 billion U.S. dollars), up 17.1 percent year on year.

Imports totaled 31.38 billion yuan, up 21.7 percent year on year, while exports reached 56.25 billion yuan, up 14.6 percent year on year. Meanwhile, freight volume rose 14.3 percent year on year to over 16.94 million tons.

Key imports included coal, fluorspar, iron ore, as well as cashmere and wool, while exports were mainly construction materials, engineering vehicles, automobiles and daily consumer goods.

The China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was established in April this year and comprises three subzones in Hohhot, the capital of the autonomous region; Manzhouli, a northern border city; and Erenhot.

Supported by the FTZ's policies, Erenhot's transaction volume via border residents' mutual trade reached 705 million yuan by Sept 30, up 54.95 percent year on year and surpassing the 700-million-yuan mark 51 days earlier than last year.

As the only entry-exit gateway for the China-Europe Railway Express central corridor, Erenhot's railway port currently operates 76 routes, connecting to over 70 hub stations across more than 10 countries, including Germany and Poland.

Mongolia Considers Purchase of Czech L 410 NG and L-39 Skyfox Aircraft www.militarnyi.com

Mongolia is considering purchasing Czech L 410 NG and L-39 Skyfox aircraft to modernize and expand the combat capabilities of its Air Force.

At the Future Forces Forum exhibition in Prague, representatives of the Mongolian Ministry of Defense and the Czech Omnipol Group signed a memorandum outlining plans to purchase one L 410 NG transport aircraft, according to Armádní noviny.

According to the documents, the Mongolian side agreed to include this purchase in the budget for the last quarter of 2026.

The memorandum also provides for Omnipol’s involvement in modernizing Mongolia’s civilian and military airfield infrastructure. Although the signed document is not yet a final, binding contract, it represents a practical step toward finalizing the agreements.

L 410 NG
The twin-engine turboprop L 410 NG is designed and manufactured by the Czech company Aircraft Industries, a member of the Omnipol Group. The aircraft is designed to transport passengers and cargo and is capable of operating on short and unpaved runways.

Previously, Mongolia had not operated any aircraft from the L 410 family, relying primarily on Chinese Harbin Y-12s in the light aviation segment.

L-39 Skyfox
The Mongolian military delegation expressed particular interest in the Czech L-39 Skyfox combat trainer jets developed by Aero Vodochody. Representatives of the Mongolian Air Force held a series of consultations at the exhibition in Prague; however, they have not yet disclosed the scope of a potential order, the timeline, or the cost.

The Mongolian Air Force already has experience operating Czechoslovakian jet aircraft, having previously used the basic L-39 Albatros training aircraft.

Currently, the backbone of the country’s combat jet fleet consists of six two-seat MiG-29UB fighter jets. Mongolia received these aircraft from Russia as military aid between 2019 and 2021.
The procurement of new Skyfox aircraft will allow Mongolia to expand its pilot training program without having to spend resources on operating the more expensive-to-maintain MiG-29UBs. In addition, these aircraft can be used for light strike and patrol missions.

The manufacturer, Aero Vodochody, also positions the L-39 Skyfox as a means of countering drones in a special Drone Hunter configuration. This version uses 70-mm Thales FZ275 or BAE Systems APKWS guided missiles and Phoenix optoelectronic pods from the Australian company SiNAB Technologies.

Furthermore, the Phoenix reconnaissance and targeting pods are also being adapted for installation on the L-410 NG transport aircraft. Previously, the Omnipol Group acquired a 25% stake in SiNAB Technologies and obtained the rights to represent its products in Central Europe and Asia.

Around 40% of Thermal Power Plant No. 5 Construction Completed www.montsame.mn

The overall implementation of the new Thermal Power Plant No. 5 project in the capital stands at 44%, with construction work reaching 35%.

The Media and Public Relations Department of the Capital City Governor’s Office reported that the foundations for the boilers, turbines, chimneys, and other main structures have been completed, while work on the foundations for administrative and auxiliary buildings is currently underway.

Plans are in place to complete the main building foundations this year, with over 420 engineering and technical personnel and approximately 70 pieces of machinery deployed on-site.

Upon commissioning in 2028, the plant will generate electricity with an installed capacity of 300 MW and supply 270 MW to the unified energy grid. It holds strategic importance for expanding the heating capacity in the capital's western region and enhancing the reliability of heat supply for households and businesses in the Bayangol and Songinokhairkhan districts. This development will increase the capital's domestic sources of heat and electricity production, helping to share and alleviate the load on existing power plants during peak winter demand.

Thermal Power Plant No. 5 will utilize low-sulfur brown coal from deposits such as Baganuur, Shivee-Ovoo, and Buuruljuut, with plans to install specialized equipment designed to filter flue gas and reduce toxic emissions.