According to Mr. Bayartsaikhan, the FX reserves of Mongolia currently stands at a record-high of USD 3.4 billion. “Although the reserves hit USD 4.1 billion in 2012, USD 2.1 billion were raised from Chinggis and Development Bank bonds that year. The current amount may seem high; however, it is still insufficient for the current economic situation. Mongolia needs to settle its foreign debts, which reached USD 27.9 billion. There is a high risk of collapse in global economy. Major bond repayments will mature starting from the second half of 2020. Thus, it is ill-advised to utilize the FX reserves instead of saving it.”

He then explained the depreciation of MNT, saying “Amid high economic growth, FX reserves and stability in the financial market, the MNT rate fell by around 200 points in the last two months. This is due to the vulnerability of the economy that is highly dependent on mining sector. For instance, China started limiting its coal import in November. Compared to October, FX purchase of private entities grew by over USD 240 million in November and the first month of December.”

Mr.Bayartsaikhan also informed that the BoM, in order to stabilize the situation, injected over USD 400 million into the FX market as an intervention; however, the currency rate further sank, which was the indication of a speculative demand for money. This year in total, the bank administered USD 1.2 billion into the market. Last week alone, the bank supplied USD 130 million, said the Governor of BoM. He further suggested the Government to focus on political stability and avoid uncertainty to boost investors’ confidence and support export. “This is critical at the moment as Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC is seeking to issue an IPO at international stock markets.”