Trending on X (6 p.m.): Media contracts and cooperative loans, tobacco law, World Bank IDA, Zuun Mod

Here are the 7 topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 14:13 and 18:13 on October 17 (Ulaanbaatar time), ranked by the likes, reposts and views of the leading posts. On Saturday afternoon the media-contract debate moved on to demands for spending reports and transparency over «Shine Khorshoo» cooperative loans, while the black-market risks of the new tobacco law and Mongolia becoming a donor to the World Bank’s concessional-lending fund also drew wide attention. Topics covered in earlier roundups appear only when there was a genuine new development. There were 7 real, verified topics, so we did not pad to 10. Metrics as of 18:30.

1. Media contracts: calls for accountability and transparency over «Shine Khorshoo» loans (new development)

In the morning roundup, journalists were answering criticism that they had taken state contracts. By the afternoon the conversation had shifted to how public money is reported and who checks the results. In the window’s most widely shared post, @margadism called for a ban on so-called silencing contracts and raised the repayment of loans issued under the «Shine Khorshoo» (New Cooperative) movement, questioning whether the money had been used for its intended purpose.

According to the Bank of Mongolia, 7,784 cooperatives received a total of MNT 894.8 billion in loans under the movement, and MNT 218.8 billion had been repaid as of July 31, 2026.

Mojo TV shared comments by O.Bat-Undrakh, a columnist at the «Unuudur» newspaper, who stressed that the profession has many honest, ethical and knowledgeable journalists. Public health policy researcher @javkhlanbayar_d noted that silencing contracts are a major research topic: whether they broke the law or professional ethics, and what effect they had on society. Some of the window’s most-viewed posts accused named individuals or cited unverified figures; we have left them out because of the risk of defamation. Read about the MNT 24.2 billion in media contracts signed by state bodies in 2025 here.

2. Tobacco law: black-market risks and enforcement (new development)

The earlier roundup covered what the amendments actually say. This time the focus was on the risks and enforcement problems that may follow once the law takes effect. UBN.mn argued that banning all flavours and aromas and sharply raising excise tax could encourage smuggling and a black market, cut budget revenue, push consumers back to cigarettes, expose young people to an unregulated market and treat traditional products unequally.

In a video shared by Elch.mn, O.Altangerel said that stores such as CU and GS25 will face heavy fines if they sell banned IQOS devices, e-cigarettes, vapes or cigarettes. Under the approved amendments, flavoured tobacco products will be banned from January 1, 2027.

3. Mongolia becomes a donor to the World Bank’s IDA (new)

The World Bank said on October 17 that Mongolia has become a donor to the International Development Association (IDA), the bank’s fund for the poorest countries, Reuters reported. Parliament approved a contribution of MNT 4.8 billion (about US$1.3 million) to IDA’s 21st replenishment. Since joining IDA in 1991, Mongolia has received more than US$1.62 billion in financing. It graduated from IDA in July 2020 and now borrows only from the IBRD.

@ZogiiMn called it a historic shift from aid recipient to aid provider, and @Battuvshin01 noted that Mongolia has moved from being a poor country receiving aid to one that gives it. Read more here.

4. Geologists’ Day and the 87th anniversary of the national geological service (new)

October 17 marks Mongolia’s Geologists’ Day and the 87th anniversary of the national geological service, and the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority sent greetings to people in the sector. State Prize laureate physicist Dr. N.Tegshbayar (@TegshbayarN) congratulated geologists, researchers, veterans and young specialists who lay the foundation for turning the country’s mineral wealth into a source of development. His post was the most-liked post on the topic.

5. Bear sighted in Selenge’s Bayangol soum (new development)

Reports of brown bears entering populated areas continue across the country. In this window, a citizen video of a bear near Deliin Övör and Khaalgat in Bayangol soum, Selenge province, spread widely. Livetv.mn shared the citizen footage, and @miigaasbntv posted a warning for residents of the area. Authorities have not yet released further information about this case. Read about Mongolia’s bear sightings in populated areas here.

6. Zuun Mod molybdenum-copper project estimated to need US$687 million (new)

Canada’s Erdene Resource Development on October 14 released a preliminary economic assessment of its Zuun Mod molybdenum-copper project in southwest Mongolia. The company estimates initial capital costs of US$686.8 million and average annual production of 19.8 million pounds of molybdenum and 27.9 million pounds of copper over a 34-year mine life. It puts the after-tax net present value (at an 8% discount rate) at US$745 million and the internal rate of return at 16.1%. @ChinzillaMon described it as another major mining project for southwest Mongolia. Read more here.

7. IMF sees Mongolia’s economy growing 6.2% in 2026, with inflation risks still high (new)

Datanews.mn (@DataNewsMN) highlighted that the International Monetary Fund’s October Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific projects Mongolia’s economy to grow 6.2% in 2026. The statement from the IMF staff visit on September 23–29 noted that growth reached 7.7% in the first half of the year, but inflation rose to 12.9% in September, well above the Bank of Mongolia’s 6±2% target. The IMF expects inflation of about 13% at the end of 2026 and about 8.5% at the end of 2027, and warned that fiscal expansion risks adding to inflation pressure.

Methodology: We ranked posts from about 200 major news and influential accounts found through X search, plus more than 50 keyword searches, by an engagement score (likes + 2× reposts + views/100), and checked the facts against news sites. Posts that could not be verified or that carried a risk of defamation were left out. Views expressed by individuals on X do not represent the position of egov.mn.