Around 1.3 million children, elders and disabled citizens have received MNT70,000 each from the Human Development Fund, distribution of which began before Tsagaan Sar. Director of the Service Department at the Labor, Care and Service Authority, D.Choijilsuren, has said distribution to the rest of citizens will begin on April 1. He answered media questions on the subject.

Have all preparations been made?

We have started work and shall be ready in time. Account books and registration forms are being sent to rural areas. They should reach all provinces by March 20. The list of recipients has to be ready by April 1 for us to start the distribution. We shall have to work more on this as there is no proper database on working adults. We shall prepare the list from the database of the Civil Registration Authority.

How will those abroad, in military service and away from home be given the money?

Anybody absence will have to get a certificate to that effect, with proper authentication.  Mongolians abroad will get the certificates from the embassy and they will send it to us through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Their money will be kept until their return. For prisoners and those in care houses, the distribution will be where they are.

What about people who don’t have any documents?

People must have proper documents to claim the money. We have around 1,100 people living in the streets. Their registration will be verified and ID cards will be issued before the money is given to them. Everybody must be registered.

There have been complaints that people were forced to pay minor amounts as trash money or such. Will there be such demands now?

Yes, some such unacceptable demands were made before Tsagaan Sar.  There will be nothing like them this time.

Will the banks again work extra time?

The banks have an agreement with us. Before Tsagaan Sar everybody in our organization worked for longer hours without any extra payment. We even had to hire 257 contracted workers and paid them MNT116,000 each. There will be nothing like this again.