R 120854Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2604
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY MANILA 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY SEOUL 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMCONSUL CHENGDU 
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 
AMCONSUL SHENYANG 
DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
NSC WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ULAANBAATAR 000536 
 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, EAP/EX, AND EB/IFD/OMA 
STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE, USTR, EXIM, OPIC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2018 
TAGS: ECON EFIN GOV ETRD EINV PREL MG
SUBJECT: MONGOLIA'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM STILL STANDING AFTER A 
SHAKY WEEK 
 
REF: A. ULAANBAATAR 527 
     ¶B. ULAANBAATAR 521 
     ¶C. ULAANBAATAR 474 
     ¶D. ULAANBAATAR 479 
 
 
Classified By: ECONOMIC/COMMERCIAL OFFICER VINCENT D. SPERA FOR REASONS 
 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Mongolia's financial system has been rocked 
in recent days by a rapid decline in the local currency's 
value and the subsequent insolvency of its fourth largest 
bank.  Some quick moves by the central bank to maintain the 
dollar supply and largely calm, even-handed responses by the 
other commercial banks have helped the system withstand the 
first part of the storm, but significant concerns remain.  In 
the short-term, the central bank will work closely with the 
remaining 15 banks to ensure sound business practices and 
ward off a run on deposits.  The central bank is also 
prepared to infuse dollars when needed to manage a gradual 
decline of the currency.  Over the medium-term, the 
government has requested a financial program with the 
International Monetary Fund, and hopes that such a program 
could be put into place before it exhausts the dollar 
reserves needed to shore up the system.  END SUMMARY. 
 
TUGRUK'S DROP BRINGS MORE THAN JITTERS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The first signs of a brewing financial storm hit 
Mongolia the week of December 1, with the local tugruk 
falling some nine percent against the dollar (from 1145 Tg to 
1250 Tg for one dollar).  Many observers attributed this to a 
flurry of dollar transfers out of the system over the 
preceding two weeks.  The CEOs at two of Mongolia's "big 
three" banks hesitated to confirm the scale and scope of 
transfers, but did concede to Post's Comm Specialist that 
some shifting of funds was underway and that the trend was 
likely to continue. 
 
¶3. (C) In a December 12 meeting with EconOff, Bank of 
Mongolia (the central bank, or BOM) First Deputy Enkhuyag 
confirmed that depositors were not only transferring tugruks 
into dollars but also transferring those dollars out of the 
country.  Enkhuyag specifically highlighted two significant 
transfers -- the first a USD 30 million transfer to Japan by 
leading telecomm company Mobicom shareholders, and the second 
an unnamed USD 60 million transfer from "one of the large 
banks." 
 
¶4. (SBU) These and other smaller transfers are also 
compounded by fewer dollars flowing into Mongolia in general. 
 As noted in refs A, B, and C, the recent drop in commodity 
prices has taken a toll on Mongolia's revenues.  In recent 
years, the sale of most of Mongolia's commodities, especially 
copper, has brought a steady flow of dollars into state 
coffers, supporting the dollar's liquidity.  As copper prices 
have dropped by more than 50 percent in recent months, so too 
has the flow of dollars.  When compounded by large dollar 
transfers out of the country, the dollar has become more 
scarce and, in turn, more valuable. 
 
¶5. (C) Enkhuyag added that the tugruk has further to fall and 
that the BOM is trying to manage the decline to avoid a 
panic.  It has already injected into the banking system USD 
440 million of its USD one billion in dollar reserves to 
support the tugruk, and did manage to halt the steep rate 
drop by December 5.  It is also prepared to use an additional 
USD 320 million for this continued purpose.  The final USD 
240 million in the reserves is "untouchable" as it makes up 
the country's Development Fund of past mining revenues set 
aside to support the government budget during down times. 
 
¶6. (C) Enkhuyag noted that given the dwindling dollar 
reserves, the government has formally requested a program 
with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  The BOM hopes 
that a program could be put in place by the end of February, 
in which case it would have enough reserves to continue 
supporting the currency.  The problem facing Mongolia, 
however, is that it is one of several countries requesting 
IMF support, which may make quick negotiation difficult. 
 
¶7. (C) Enkhuyag also said that the BOM is expecting increased 
dollar revenues from gold sales.  The parliament recently 
increased the threshold price at which a "windfall profit 
tax" is applied to gold, and as a result the supply of gold 
to the BOM from miners is expected to rise.  Resulting sales 
would then also take pressure off of the dollar reserves, 
assuming the sellers do not send proceeds immediately abroad. 
 
PENDING BANK FAILURE MUDDIES THE WATERS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Just as the BOM had stabilized the tugruk, it was 
forced to take control of Anod Bank, Mongolia's fourth 
largest (although much smaller than the top three), on 
Wednesday, December 10.  In the Thursday, December 11 media 
flurry, the BOM stopped short of declaring Anod bankrupt, and 
sent reassuring messages that the action effectively secures 
depositor money and will allow for a full cleansing of recent 
shaky bank practices.  Anod has been under investigation for 
the past two years, and the most recent inspection revealed 
that the bank's 180 billion tugruks (approximately USD 144 
million) in loans was offset by only 145 billion tugruks 
(approximately USD 116 million) in deposits.  Further, the 
bank's accounts are grossly over concentrated, with only 
3,000 of the bank's 60,000 depositors controlling 130 billion 
deposited tugruks (89.7 percent of deposits). 
 
¶9. (SBU) Other banking sources tell us that late last week 
Anod informed the BOM that unnamed individuals had sent 
substantial funds abroad, presumably leading to the 
credit/debit imbalance.  In addition, Anod management claimed 
that the bank's owners, before current management had taken 
over, had provided loans for themselves in excess of 50 
billion tugruks (approximately USD 40 million).  These funds 
now appear to be unrecoverable, as they were likely sent 
abroad or given with worthless security, such as shares in a 
collapsing bank. 
 
¶10. (C) On the subject of Anod, BOM First Deputy Enkhuyag 
confirmed to us that, as per public reports, the BOM is 
guaranteeing all deposit accounts.  He added that the public 
guarantees made on December 11 appear to have stopped the 
bleeding and warded off a major run on deposits from 
Mongolia's other 15 banks.  He expressed confidence that the 
other banks -- especially Mongolia's three largest banks -- 
are handling the situation calmly and professionally, and 
expects all 15 and the system as a whole to survive. 
 
¶11. (C) The next big test will come on Monday, December 15, 
when the BOM plans to open Anod's doors to depositors. 
Enkhuyag stated that the BOM will pay out on all depositor 
accounts (save those under investigation) with no limits, but 
not accounts tied to loans.  He remains optimistic that the 
BOM will be able to segregate the "good" accounts from the 
"bad accounts" quickly, and then cut its losses on the 
problem accounts.  Then it would either sell the good ones 
off to other banks or rebuild Anod -- possibly via South 
Korean investment -) using the remaining solid deposits and 
loans. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
 
¶12. (C) Enkhuyag's assessment of the situation seems 
consistent with the perceptions of the banking and business 
community, and the BOM's recent actions have taken some of 
the edge off of the sense of panic surrounding the financial 
sector.  As post has reported previously (see ref D), 
Mongolia's financial system is fundamentally sound and -- the 
current problems with Anod aside -- has proven steady over 
the past decade.  Anod has been a problem bank for some time 
so its pending failure does not necessarily suggest a 
system-wide illness.  At the same time, even before Anod's 
problems some observers have argued that Mongolia has too 
many banks and financial institutions for a country its size. 
 
¶13. (C) A bigger question is the BOM's capacity to manage the 
crisis as dollar reserves dwindle.  Its current, seemingly 
rational approach could unhinge quickly due to events out of 
its control, such as continued commodity price swings, IMF 
attention to other countries and regions, economic issues in 
import-supplying countries, etc.  The BOM's recent actions 
show that it may be up to the task, but will need more than a 
little help from friends -- the IMF, the other commercial 
banks, and other international partners -- to negotiate the 
coming weeks and months. 
 
MINTON