Overview
- The government opened negotiations with Rio Tinto seeking to lift Mongolia’s overall Oyu Tolgoi benefit above 50%, concentrating on cutting the project’s 11% loan interest, overhauling cost‑based management fees and strengthening governance.
- A 10‑member Rio Tinto team is in Ulaanbaatar with authority to finalize terms, and officials cite recent upgrades to Mongolia’s credit ratings as leverage to reduce financing costs.
- Health‑sector unions warned they are prepared for a nationwide strike if funding and pay are not raised toward 3.5 million tugriks, alleging administrative pressure on local union activity.
- Education Minister P. Naranbayar and Budget Committee Chair Kh. Gankhuyag said a 30% teachers’ pay rise is currently feasible with staged increases under discussion and potential budget amendments next year.
- The ruling MPP caucus chose J. Batjargal as its new leader and agreed to nominate J. Bat‑Erdene for deputy speaker, while former culture minister Ch. Nomin rejected a widely shared claim of a 16‑trillion‑tugrik audit ‘discrepancy’ as false after a correction by Chief Cabinet Secretary S. Byambatsogt.