Government Puts Oyu Tolgoi Dividend Spending to a Public Poll

Mongolia’s government is seeking public input on how to allocate MNT 3 trillion in Oyu Tolgoi dividends projected for next year, an amount Rio Tinto has yet to confirm. The online survey is open until 29 October on e-Mongolia and e-Zasag. Politicians and experts disagree on how the revenue should be used, and on who has the right to decide. The government says the public poll will give citizens a say. But how much influence can the public have over the decision when the government has already put forward its own plan?