Precautionary measures to be taken by the Mongolian state authorities against COVID-19

12nd March 2020, Ulaanbaatar city.

 

As of 12 March 2020, 123,824 cases of novel coronavirus have been reported in 117 countries including 4620 deaths in worldwide and the first coronavirus infection was officially registered in Mongolia on 10 March 2020. Due to registration of the coronavirus, Mongolian state authorities including the Government and the State Emergency Commission have taken the following actions:

• Female employees who are pregnant or with child aged between 0-12 work from home or take paid leaves

According to the Resolution No.6 of the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia dated 10 March 2020, all legal entities and companies regardless of ownership type are obliged to provide opportunities to female employees who are pregnant or with child aged between 0-12 to work from their home or to take paid leave until 30 March 2020. Moreover, all legal entities regardless of ownership type have the obligation to abide by any decisions or resolutions made by competent authority according to Article 34.2.2 of the Law of Mongolia on Disaster Prevention. Therefore, any legal entity who breached above-mentioned resolution of the State Emergency Commission shall be punishable by MNT 1,000,000 pursuant to the Infringement Law of Mongolia.

 

• All shops in Ulaanbaatar except for grocery stores shut down

In connection with the confirmed imported case of the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 in Mongolia, the Emergency Commission of Ulaanbaatar city decided to shut down the following service centers and shops in the capital city until March 16, Monday:

–     All types of retail stores selling products other than groceries and products for household use and their delivery services, including all units of department stores, shopping malls and market places;

–     All types of food delivery services;

–     All kinds of service centers except for public showers, including hair and beauty salons, tailor, shoe salons, dry cleaning services, all kinds of repair shops and services, photo printing, and moving services;

–     Auto repair shops, auto service and retail stores, except for tire repair shops;

–     All types of kiosk services, except for the points selling ‘Smart Card’ bus passes.

 

• The Bank of Mongolia decreases its policy by 1 percent

Suspending all shops in Ulaanbaatar except for grocery stores might result in financial difficulties for the business owners including failure to pay bank loan and rental charges. Therefore, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Mongolia made a decision to reduce the policy rate to 10.0 percent, reducing it by 1.0 percentage point. Moreover, the Committee lowered the reserve requirement ratio of tugrug by 2.0 percentage points to 8.5 percent and set the interest rate corridor to +1 and -1 percentage points on the policy rate. The authority expects that these measures will lead the commercial banks to make flexible changes on their loan interest to be paid by the business owners.

 

• International flights to be suspended

Mongolia has suspended international flights with People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Thailand, where novel coronavirus have been spreading drastically until 28 March 2020.

 

• Court hearings are postponed

The Judicial General Council of Mongolia delivered its official letter to the office of first instance and appeals courts to postpone all court hearings until 16 March 2020. As a result, first instance civil court in Sukhbaatar, Chingeltei, Songinokharkhan, Khan-uul and Baganuur districts have postponed all court hearings scheduled from 11 March to 16 March 2020.

 

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