Accountability is the Gobi’s Scarcest Resource
The Gobi has a government accountability shortage that is reaching breathtaking levels. In the news this week is the revelation that Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi (ETT), the government owned mining company...
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Patterns in Mongolia’s Mining Policy
The American baseball player Yogi Berra was known for his way with words, and one of his famous expressions came to mind this week: It’s deja vu all over again. The reason was that the great Oyu Tolgoi...
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Speculation: OT Dispute and the Budget
The silence is deafening in the Gobi. Not living in the thick of the Ulaanbaatar bustle has many upsides, but a serious downside is the metaphoric silence of news or even rumors about important issues...
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In Depth Analysis: OT Dispute and Expenditure Overruns
On February 1st President Elbegdorj participated in a session of parliament to discuss management and cost issues surrounding the Oyu Tolgoi (OT) mine project. During the session the President,...
View ArticleEconomic Imbalances: What Goes Up, Must Come Down
If you’re trying to figure out what’s currently happening with the Mongolian economy, the band Blood, Sweat, & Tears provides the most concise summation from their song “Spinning Wheel” What goes...
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The Weak Power of Factional Politics
There is growing speculation that it is only a matter of time before the Democratic Party (DP) calls for Prime Minister Altankhuyag’s ouster. It is a reasonable prediction given the many missteps of...
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Depreciating Tugrik: Is It Deja Vu All Over Again?
Last week the Tugrik to US Dollar exchange rate crept back above 1,700. Unlike when it happened earlier in the autumn, this time around it hardly made the news. It is a great example of how quickly...
View Article‘Samurai’ Bonds Lack Clarity
According to local news reports, the Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM) received just over JY24 billion (USD230 million) in “Samurai” Bond proceeds from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation...
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The Tugrik is Following Its Own Path
Speaker of Parliament Z. Enkhbold recently tweeted an observation (see original tweet below) that seemed like an attempt to put the continuing depreciation of the Tugrik against the US Dollar in...
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The Jenga Economy
The domestic economy is more complex than it was just a few years ago. It is more integrated with international markets and more layered with wealth generating opportunities. It has broadened...
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