The powers of the Mongolian President would be reduced if the ongoing constitutional reform is backed.

Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh received Xing Haiming, Ambassador of China to Mongolia on 23rd of October. During the meeting, the prime minister expressed Mongolia’s concerns about the decreasing amounts of coal being exported via the Gashuunsukhait-Gants Mod border crossing.

Newly appointed Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry D.Sumiyabazar has issued an order to temporarily suspend the granting of new mining licenses.

The new Mongolian Cabinet will discuss the 2018 State Budget at the first plenary meeting on 25th of October. The Cabinet held extended meeting on Friday. New Finance Minister Ch.Khurelbaatar will present the 2018 State Budget to the Cabinet.

Following the horrible recent case of a 5 year-old girl who was raped by her step-father, which stunned the nation, Mongolians demonstrated on Tuesday demanding stringent action against in cases of sexual assault on children.

Earlier in the year, on 1st of February, the Mongolian government passed a resolution for upgrading the equipment of the General Hospital for Special State Servants using a EUR 7 billion Austrian soft loan fund.

The Budgetary Standing Committee in Mongolia’s State Great Khural (parliament) has held a second debate on the 2017 budget amendment. During the debate, which took place on 24 October, MPs questioned the finance minister over the recent demands of the doctors and teachers for a salary increase.

A lucky person from Ulaanbaatar won MNT 500 million (USD 203 thousand) from the VAT Lottery on Sunday (22nd of October), according to the General Taxation Department of Mongolia.

Shortly after the rescue operation on Mt. Otgontenger began today (23rd October), rescuers retrieved ten bodies from the snow at a height of 3200 meters. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), seven other people are still unaccounted for; three of them women.

An inspectors’ team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Mongolia last week for a second review of the Extended Fund Facility programme. The total external financing package will thus be around $5.5 billion.