Ulaanbaatar
A: Very favorably. Mongolia’s personnel income tax is a flat 10%. In China the rate ranges from 3% to 45%, and in Russia the flat tax is 30%.
The Mongolian corporate tax rate ranges from 10% to 25% for firms incorporated in Mongolia; 20% otherwise. The Chinese and Russian rates are 25% and 20% respectively.
Mongolia’s Value Added Tax is 10%; in China, the VAT is 17% and in Russia 18%.
A: One block to the left of Sukhbaatar Square lies the heart of the Mongolian banking system, where the majority of the country’s largest financial enterprises are headquartered. Here the central offices of Golomt Bank, Trade and Development Bank, Capital Bank, Ulaanbaatar Bank, Savings Bank and State Bank surround the imposing Central Bank of Mongolia. Buried amongst the financial institutions are an assortment of foreign embassies, including those of France, Germany, and Turkey.
A: The National University of Mongolia, established in 1942, is the oldest in the country. Originally the university was a training ground for the communist party’s executive class. Now offering a variety of competitive programs, approximately a third of university educated Mongolians graduate from the institution, with an estimated 11,000 undergraduates, 2000 graduate students, 800 faculty members, and 400 academic support staff registered at any one time.
A: Located directly in the center of the Central Business District of Ulaanbaatar is Millies Café. Established in 1998 by café founder / owner Millie Stoda, Millie’s Café has become an institution in Ulaanbaatar with expats and locals. Lunchtime is always crowded, and sometimes if guests have an empty chair at their table it is often filled with another guest. Ambassadors, Ministers of the Mongolian Parliament, miners and businessmen all mingle and network over excellent coffee and good service.
Located directly on the west side of the Choijin Lama Museum, in back of the Blue Sky Tower, Millie’s has the ambiance and the menu of a Midwestern American diner. With always fresh ingredients, the food is consistently good and the menu features grilled chicken, burgers, pizzas, and excellent hamburgers. On a regular basis, Chef / Owner Daniel Correa Martinez and wife Desmaa spice up the menu with a Cuban sandwich or a delicious soup.
A relaxing place to discuss business over a great cup of coffee and homemade pie, with the free wifi service in the restaurant and the patio overlooking the temple, makes Millie’s Café an important destination for locals and visitors alike.
A: If one district may be considered representative of modern Ulaanbaatar, it is without a doubt Sukhbaatar District. Despite being just 218 hectares in size, the area acts as the epicenter of both political and economic activity within the city.
A: This heat is produced and distributed by a network that is both archaic and unsustainable. Ulaanbaatar’s basic energy needs are met by an interconnected cogeneration system, which produces both the city’s electricity and heat, known as District Heating (DH). Both products are created by three Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants located in the far western, industrial sector of the capital. The DH system then works together with private heating supply companies to supply heating and hot water to businesses and apartments around the city. This grid is known as the Ulaanbaatar Heating Network (UBHN).
The majority of Ulaanbaatar’s heat is produced by CHP-4, the most modern of the facilities, built with a theoretical capacity large enough to supply 75% of what the UBHN is considered able to handle. However, the plant is currently operating close to capacity and despite being relatively new (it was commissioned between 1983 and 1991) premature aging has set in due to the loss of Soviet support and expertise after 1989.