Trending on X (10 a.m.): Oyu Tolgoi survey, first snow, moped rules, budget debate, “Zogsool”

These are the five topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 06:15 and 10:15 on October 15 (Ulaanbaatar time), ranked by likes, reposts and views on the leading posts. Morning conversation centred on the Oyu Tolgoi dividend survey, the season’s first snow, new rules for mopeds and scooters, and the parliamentary budget debate. Topics already covered in earlier roundups appear only where there is a genuine new development. Metrics as of 10:22 UB.

1. Oyu Tolgoi dividend: survey launch sparks “cash or development” debate (new development)

The government has begun asking citizens, via the e-Mongolia and e-Zasag platforms, how dividend income from Oyu Tolgoi LLC should be spent. According to state broadcaster MNB, the open survey runs from 09:00 on October 14 to 22:00 on October 28, and the results will be passed to a parliamentary working group. On the first morning after the launch, the debate on X moved to a new stage.

The most-viewed post in the window came from lawyer Batkhuu (@Batkhuu_lw). He argued that the 90,000, 200,000 and 63,000 togrog payouts from Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi had not built a single business or changed anyone’s life, and that the same money could have paid for fuel storage tanks to end petrol queues or housed 40,000 people waiting for mortgages. He said he understood why citizens would rather take the dividend themselves than let the state “eat” it, but asked: “If we just take whatever is handed out, when will we ever develop?” The post drew 36 replies and 8 quote posts.

@p_tsenguun criticised “losing 6 trillion for the sake of 3 trillion” instead of paying down debt; in an earlier post he calculated that if Mongolia receives 3 trillion togrog for its 33% stake, Rio Tinto receives 6 trillion for its 67%. @SBayar12 objected that one of the MPs who passed Parliament’s Resolution 57, which critics say turned the investment agreement into a loan agreement, was now speaking out on the dividend. @BDashravdan mocked people who once opposed foreign investment for now voting to share in the payout and warned about inflation. @batengineer said he would back spending the dividend only on a metro, while @tulga_cule called the survey one “without real choices.” The news site Shugeluleegch.mn wrote that the draft 2027 budget already allocates 2 trillion togrog of the dividend across eight ministers’ portfolios; egov.mn has not independently verified this. Read our earlier report here.

2. First snow of the season (new development)

From around 07:00, many users shared photos of falling snow and white-capped hills with “snowy good morning” greetings and reminded each other to dress warmly, making it one of the most common topics of the morning. UBN posted a photo of snow in Uliastai, Zavkhan province.

Forecasters expect heavy snow today in Uvs province and northern Khovd, with rain and sleet in parts of the west and centre; Live TV said the Ulaanbaatar area would be cloudy. Read about hazardous weather in the western provinces here (in Mongolian) and the October 15–17 warning here.

3. Mopeds and scooters: backlash over “10–16-year-olds on pavements,” and a traffic police clarification (new development)

Presenting changes to the Traffic Rules after yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Justice and Home Affairs Minister G. Temuulen said children under 10 may not take part in traffic without a guardian, 10–16-year-olds will ride on pavements and cycle lanes, and people aged 18 and over may operate e-bikes, mopeds and scooters (ikon.mn). He said there are about 34,000 mopeds and scooters nationwide, and the number of children and young people injured in related accidents rose from about 200 in 2025 to 330 this year.

Many users read the minister’s remarks as allowing 10–16-year-olds to ride mopeds and scooters on pavements and pushed back on Thursday morning. @altantuya_t wrote that pedestrians should be able to walk on pavements in peace and called on the minister to resign, while @002mgl repeatedly posted “I do not support this,” tagging the minister and the traffic police. @Unshigch1__ called the announcement ill-timed with winter coming, and @NanzaddorjDemb2 called the rule dangerous. A handful of users defended scooters as useful for running errands.

Asked by ikon.mn for clarification, the Traffic Police Department said the rules previously allowed 10–14-year-olds to ride ordinary bicycles on pavements and cycle lanes and this has been extended to 10–16, while e-bikes, scooters and mopeds may by law be used only by people aged 18 and over. Read more in our dedicated report.

4. Second reading of the 2027 budget, and school rental costs (new development)

Parliament’s plenary session began the second reading of the draft 2027 state budget and the 2027 budgets of the National Wealth Fund, the Social Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund at 10:00 today (iSee.mn). UBN is streaming the debate live.

The school-rent issue raised in previous days took a new turn with a statement from the education minister. According to Graph.mn, cutting 13.9 billion togrog in rental funding in the budget amendment puts at risk the schooling of 9,900 children at 22 schools, one example being School No. 58 in Dambadarjaa. In a video posted by Eguur.mn, Education Minister L. Enkh-Amgalan criticised the removal of 13.7 billion togrog in rent for 60 urgently needed schools and kindergartens, saying “some politicians should stop playing politics with education.” The two sources give slightly different figures.

5. “Zogsool” wins four prizes at the Busan International Film Festival

Director Sakhya Byamba’s feature “Zogsool” was the biggest winner at the 31st Busan International Film Festival’s Vision Awards. According to Variety, the film won the NETPAC Award, the FIPRESCI Award and the Vision of Jiseok Award, and shared the Hylife Vision Award with India’s “Selvi.” ZogiiMn and other accounts shared the news in the morning. Read more in our dedicated report.

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.