Mongolia writes off utility costs for households to buffer COVID-19 impact www.xinhuanet.com
Mongolia on Sunday decided to write off payments of water, heat, electricity and waste for households and organizations across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
With exceptions of governmental organizations, state and local owned entities, mining companies, wholesalers, retailers, and alcohol or tobacco producers, the decision comes into effect from Dec. 1 to July 1, 2021, said Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh at a press conference after an irregular government meeting.
Erdenet Mining Corporation, one of the biggest state-owned enterprises, is expected to pay for about 650 billion Mongolian Tugriks (228 million U.S. dollars) needed to implement this decision, said Khurelsukh.
More than 890,000 households and 123,800 organizations can benefit from the write-off, according to official data.
In addition, Mongolia decided to cut the price of processed fuel by 75 percent during the period to support the livelihoods in ger areas of the capital city Ulan Bator. Earlier, it had reduced the price by 50 percent.
About 220,000 households live in Ulan Bator's ger districts, with no running water, central heating or sewerage systems.
As of Sunday, Mongolia has reported 907 COVID-19 cases, including 473 locally transmitted cases.
The Asian country's nationwide lockdown, imposed on Nov. 12 after its first locally transmitted case, expired on Dec. 1. It has extended the restrictive measures in Ulan Bator and the provinces of Selenge and Arkhangai until Dec. 14. Enditem
Published Date:2020-12-14