Anti-corruption authority: Mongolian government official misuses budget money www.news.mn

Earlier yesterday (12 May), the Mongolian Independent Authority against Corruption reported that an unnamed government official is under investigation for the misuse of MNT 1.3 billion (USD 465,896) from the state budget. According to one source, the official paid the money as compensation to employees who were illegally fired from their jobs. This corrupt altruism needs to be verified.

China lifts tariffs on US goods despite Trump’s threat to rip up trade deal www.rt.com

A new list of US products to be exempt from trade tariffs has been announced by China’s finance ministry on Tuesday. It said the new waivers will take effect on May 19 and expire on May 18, 2021.
The exemptions cover 79 products in total, including rare earth mineral ores, aircraft radar equipment, semiconductor parts, medical disinfectants, and a range of precious metals, chemical and petrochemical products.

President Battulga visits railroad construction sites www.montsame.mn

President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga legged the construction sites of 416 km railway connecting Zuunbayan with Tavantolgoi, and 240km railway connecting Tavantolgoi with Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint, last weekend.

Russian military charter to fly Mongolian cadets home www.news.mn

Mongolian cadets who are studying in Russia will return home with a Moscow-chartered military plane. The evacuation comes after the online discussion between Mongolian Defence Minister N.Enkhbold and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Victory of the Great Patriotic War.

Mongolia’s wheat cultivation increases amid Covid-19 lockdown www.news.mn

Farmers in Mongolia’s cereal crop growing regions such as the provinces of Bulgan and Selenge have already begun cultivation. For example, in Bulgan Province, farmers are planning to cultivate a total of 42 thousand hectares; 1000 hectares with wheat.

Badass Mongolian Mulans? www.news.mn

BoM: Official decision of EC will come into force in October www.zgm.mn

The Bank of Mongolia (BoM) on Friday released a statement in connection with the inclusion of Mongolia in the European Commission’s blacklist. The policy document being developed by the European Commission (EC) is currently being discussed at the draft level and will be approved by the European Parliament and the Council within 1-2 months. If approved, the blacklist will become an official decision of the European Union and will come into force in October 2020, the statement said. EC officially added Mongolia to its list of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regimes on May 8. The commission assessed the latest information received in this context from the FATF relating to these deficiencies and other relevant information. Based on the 2015 Mutual Evaluation, Mongolia successfully fulfilled 50 percent of the tasks since its inclusion in the FATF (Financial Action Task Force)’s grey list on October 18, 2019. Mongolia is currently working to discuss and report its remaining work report at the Asia Pacific Group meeting in May, which will allow the country to be removed from the list of strategically deficient countries by October 2020. The FATF's activities, actions, rules, procedures, policy decision-making processes, and oversight activities are independent of EC. According to the BoM, the bank will provide timely information on all measures taken by the government to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, its results, and relations and cooperation with international organizations.

IMF Considering ‘Rapid Funding Instrument’ for Mongolia www.bloomberg.com

(Bloomberg) -- Mongolia is in talks with the International
Monetary Fund toward a follow up agreement to a fund facility
due to expire this month, the institution’s country
representative told Bloomberg by email.
* “We are discussing with Mongolian authorities how we can best support their response to the pandemic,” said IMF Resident Representative SeokHyun Yoon.
* A “rapid financing instrument” for urgent budgetary needs is
one possibility during the pandemic
* “A key focus of this instrument is ensuring there is
sufficient health and related spending to help address an
outbreak of the virus within Mongolia:” Yoon
* NOTE: The extended fund facility agreed to in May 2017 to
support Mongolia’s economy is set to expire on May 23, 2020
* IMF officials in constant contact with Mongolian authorities;
discussions focusing on addressing possible domestic outbreak, limiting economic fallout, and protecting most vulnerable: Yoon
* “It’s important to keep in mind the significant progress
achieved under the program”
** Recovery of economic growth: from 1.2% in 2016; to 7.2% in 2018; 5.1% in 2019, according to IMF data
** Public debt declined from 87.6% of GDP to 69.5% at end-2019
** International reserves grew three times: $1.3b at end-2016 vs $4.3bn at end-2019
* Mongolia still vulnerable to downturns in global economy: IMF
** Economic diversification needed
** Priorities after virus threat should shift to reducing public
debt, building up foreign exchange reserves, strengthening bank capital

Almost 100,000 livestock die due to severe cold in Mongolia so far in 2020 www.xinhuanet.com

Extreme wintry weather has killed 99,400 livestock animals in the northern Mongolian province of Bulgan alone this year, the provincial agricultural department said Monday.

In Mongolia, Hand-Washing Staves Off More Than the Coronavirus www.globalpressjournal.com

BAYAN-UNDUR, ORKHON PROVINCE, MONGOLIA — The sounds of noisy children and running water echo from the bathroom in Javzandulam Purevjav’s home.

Javzandulam, a mother of four, says in the last few months she has increased the number of times per day she makes her children wash their hands.

She says she’s acting in accordance with the Mongolia Ministry of Health’s recommendation to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

“Before we used to wash our hands in the mornings and evenings only,” she says. Now, she says every member of her family does so at least five times per day.

Following the hand-washing advice has proven effective for them. During most winters, Javzandulam says her children get colds or the flu. So far, the family has escaped not only COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but also common colds, flus and intestinal infections.

“This winter my children were not ill, whereas they used to get sick one after another,” she says.

And she’s not alone.

Across Mongolia, the rate of common intestinal infections among children dropped by 55.5% in the first quarter of 2020, compared with the same period last year, according to studies conducted by the Center for Health Development of Mongolia and the National Statistics Office of Mongolia. The primary cause of transmission, experts say, is unwashed, dirty hands.

“Citizens are complying with the Ministry of Health recommendation and making it a habit in everyday life,” says Suvdmaa Nyam, a senior doctor and head of the Early Warning and Response Unit of the National Center for Communicable Diseases. “This is contributing to the reduction of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases.”

Mongolia has been effective in staving off the spread of the coronavirus, too.

The Mongolian government was among the first to implement widespread restrictions in response to the coronavirus in January, as the virus rapidly spread through neighboring China, and then across the world. The government has been sending daily text messages to citizens with reminders to wear face masks and wash their hands. Reminders are also broadcast regularly on every television channel. As of May 9, Mongolia had reported 42 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and no deaths.

Khulan Lkhagvadorj, a mother of three, says her children are now accustomed to washing their hands and using hand sanitizers.

“This habit is the simplest, yet most effective method to prevent various diseases,” she says.

Health care providers say they are noticing, and appreciating, the difference this year.

“This time last year, we had so many patients in our ward, and we did not even have time for tea break,” says Ul-Oldokh Lkhagvasuren, a nurse in the isolation ward of the Regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Orkhon, the province’s largest central hospital.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, she says hospitals aren’t busy.

“It is less busy and very quiet this year,” she says.

Even after the coronavirus threat subsides, Bilguunee Bayanaa, a specialist in charge of surveillance and prevention of communicable diseases at the Health Department of Orkhon province, says he hopes citizens have adopted new habits they will keep for life.

“If the citizens can make these habits part of their everyday life in the future, they can prevent respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases,” he says.

Otgoo Tsedendemberel, GPJ, translated this story from Mongolian.