Oyu Tolgoi LLC still has outstanding payments related to water use and water pollution fees, including MNT 4.8 billion required under an official directive issued by the National Audit Office following a claim by the General Department of Taxation, MNT 1.5 billion assessed by the Water Agency of Mongolia as of the first quarter of this year, as well as unpaid water pollution fees for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

In response, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sandag-Ochir Tsend met on May 8, with Amarjargal Khenchbish, Country Director of Rio Tinto in Mongolia, and Munkhsukh Sukhbaatar, Chief Executive Officer of Oyu Tolgoi LLC, to discuss the settlement of the unpaid water pollution charges, improvement of land rehabilitation efforts, and cooperation in supporting the upcoming COP17 conference.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the parties discussed the outstanding issues and agreed to resolve them.

Minister Sandag-Ochir stated that the ministry supports socially responsible mining operations that comply with Mongolia’s Constitution and environmental legislation and apply environmentally friendly technologies. He noted that cooperation between the public and private sectors depends heavily on mutual understanding and emphasized the importance of complying with relevant laws and regulations. In this regard, he welcomed efforts to resolve the payment of outstanding water use and pollution fees.

The ministry also noted that participation in COP17 would provide private sector companies with opportunities to access blended financing, establish partnerships with international organizations and investors, and gain international experience.

More than 190 UN member states have expressed interest in participating in the conference. Officials emphasized that Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi LLC, as operators of major mining projects, should support and cooperate with the event while setting an example for other companies in the sector.

Published Date:2026-05-11