Mining exploration license issuance will resume in late-November, reported the Ministry of Mining this week. Newly appointed Minister of Mining D.Sumiyabazar suspended the government’s issuance of mining licenses on October 24 after meeting with the Mineral Resource Authority of Mongolia (MRAM). The Mining Ministry reported that the new minister suspended the issuance of new licenses due to the shortcomings of MRAM. Minister D.Sumiyabazar likened the current practices of MRAM to vendors selling A4 papers and said his decision was due to the misconduct of the agency’s officials. “Several individuals and companies have submitted formal complaints to the ministry about the selection process of mining licenses,” the minister stated in his decree to suspend new issuances. The previous MRAM administration determined that 31.8 million hectares of Mongolian land could be used for mining exploration. More than 13.6 million hectares were planned to be allocated for exploration but the licenses have not been fully distributed.