An assessment on implementation of temporary regulation on Artisanal and Small Scale Mining operations in Mongolia approved by the Government Resolution No: 72 in 2008 was made under the SAM Project in order to identify its enforcement progress, advantages and disadvantages, and constraints/difficulties encountered. download

As of December 31, 2008, the 87 % of ASM communities extract gold (hard rock and placer mines), 7 % tungstan, 6 % fluorspar, and 0.3 % (MRPAM statistics). Assessment was conducted in four project sites (gold mining), coal mines in Nalaikh, and Airag Soum of Dornogovi Aimag (fluorspar) inviting artisanal miners and local government officials for interviews, consultative meetings (totally over 150 individuals), and questionnaires (totally 60 individuals).

Participants shared their feedback and comments on advantages and disadvantages on the temporary regulation as follows:

• As the temporary regulation is implemented, it provides the first regulatory framework for artisanal mining in Mongolia and ASM communities are provided with access to health and social insurance as well as social welfare services through with registration with local residential areas. Additionally, overall attitudes of local governments towards artisanal mining has been possitively changed.
• As artisanal miners are organized e.g. into partnerships according to the regulation, their incomes are being sustained. Although artisanal miners are organized into unregistered partnerships as stated in the temporary regulation and some positive results are obtained, they desire to be organized into co-working groups with different legal status. Thus, the regulatory framework should consider flexible types of organization and cooperation among ASM communities.
• Capacities of ASM equipment e.g. the generator's capacity are limited to 500 cm3. This is too low against the reality and it would limit the development of artisanal mining into small scale mining. Moreover, the maximum number of members per a partnership is too high. These contradictions should be re-considered and established in accordance with the existing situations in the country.

The assessment report was presented to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy and government officials and posted on the project website. ASM policy, legal and regulatory Task Force was established by an Order of Minister and the project is assisting the Task Force in delivery of artisanal miners' voices and organization of consultative meetings and discussions among its members.