The Government decided to sell MNT 180 billion worth bonds to give long term soft loans to the Government employees. Apartments would cost no more than MNT 650 thousand per square meter but construction companies are very unsatisfied about the low price. Minister for Road, Transportation, Construction and City Development Kh.Battulga was interviewed on the issue.

Direct flights between Ulaanbaatar and Ulan-Ude, capital of the Buryatia Republic in the Russian Federation are expected to begin in April, 2010, following an agreement recently reached between the Russian and Mongolian sides. Carriers from both countries will operate the flights.

L.Gantumur has recently been named Deputy Leader of the DP group in Parliament, an office that has been vacant since last year’s elections. Talking to the media “perhaps for the last time in his personal capacity” before taking over as a party spokesman,  Gantumur explained on Monday why he was against the proposal of Finance Minister S.Bayartsogt to distribute among citizens after next year’s census the USD100 million received as advance payment for the  Oyutolgoi project. He said some people could certainly do with the cash but MNT50,000 to all Mongolians would certainly lead to runaway inflation. Asserting that he supported “the idea of giving money to the people” he said “the method should be different”. 

Last Friday, a technical meeting between the Government of Mongolia and foreign partners was held at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was focused on the implementation of “Standby” project, Budget Stability Program and Social Welfare Reform.

Traders at Narantuul market are making the best of the spread of the H1N1 virus as they have raised the prices of everything that is popularly believed to increase resistance to cold. These are Vitamin C, masks, curds, horse meat, and seabuckthorn. Masks are selling for MNT 500 each, curds have become MNT1,500 a kilo, horse meat MNT 2,200 while 500 milligrams of huckleberry juice now costs MNT 3,000.