Parliament rejects the Heating Supply Bill and returns it to its sponsors

At its plenary session on the afternoon of October 15, during the 2026 autumn session, Mongolia's State Great Khural (Parliament) voted on whether to discuss the Heating Supply Bill and its accompanying bills in principle. A majority of the members present voted against.

Under Article 36.14 of the Law on the Procedure of Parliamentary Sessions, when a majority of those voting do not support discussing a bill in principle, a resolution returning the bill to its initiators is deemed adopted. Vice-Chairman B. Purevdorj accordingly declared the parliamentary resolution "On returning the draft law" adopted and announced it to the session.

What the bill proposed

During the debate, MPs O. Altangerel, G. Khosbayar, S. Erdenebat, D. Enkhtuvshin, Ch. Undram, L. Soronzonbold, Ts. Baatarkhuu and B. Purevdorj questioned the bill's sponsor, MP M. Enkhtsetseg, and members of the working group. They asked whether the law would reduce the risk of corruption in the heating sector, what heat metering would cost and achieve, and how service quality and tariffs would change.

M. Enkhtsetseg said that only about five percent of the Energy Law currently deals with heat supply, with the rest governed by more than 800 regulations, arguing that this legal uncertainty breeds corruption and red tape and that a standalone law would give the sector clear rules. The sponsors estimated that a heat meter costs about 1 million togrog per unit today but could get cheaper as use spreads. Because the meters would belong to the heat supplier, they argued, customers would not face extra costs, and households would pay for the heat they actually use and could manage their consumption.

MPs P. Sainzorig and O. Saranchuluun spoke for the group backing the standing committee's conclusion. Sainzorig said the bill would bring order to the sector, encourage distributed and independent heat sources, and help address air pollution and housing. Saranchuluun stressed the need to take into account people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Other MPs said transitional arrangements, tariff reform and protections for target groups of consumers needed to be spelled out in detail.

Other decisions at the same session

At the same session, Parliament agreed by 54% of the 100 members present to discuss the revised Statistics Law in principle and sent it to the standing committee to prepare the first reading. It also held the final reading of amendments to the law on rehabilitating victims of political repression and compensating them, and sent the bill to the standing committee to prepare for final adoption.

Reaction on X

Some X users welcomed the bill's rejection, while others pointed out that new buildings have very limited options for connecting to the city heating network.

Source: Open Parliament Office of the State Great Khural (parliament.mn), newswire.mn