//Ed. Note: TNT will be raising worldwide
consciousness about Mongolia this
week, with on-the-scene reporting from
Ulan Bator.//
(The UB Post, 3 August 2018)
Public urination and spitting to warrant 20,000
MNT fine
Sh. Urantssetseg has been derisively called the "Urinal Colonel" by offenders.
Trans. by B.DULGUUN
The revised Law on Hygiene became effective on February 29, 2016. The public attention
has been drawn to a particular provision in the law, which states, “If caught spitting,
disposing nasal discharge or urinating on the street or public area, a 20,000 MNT penalty
will be charged”. Although the law has taken effect, these conducts are still being carried
out as the law’s enforcement hasn’t been carried out effectively. Officer Sh.Urantssetseg
in charge of the Department of Environmental Health Policy Implementation and Coordination
at the Ministry of Health and Sports was interviewed about the effectiveness of the revised
Law on Hygiene and whether noticeable results were seen in the two months the law has
been effective.
Has the law shown any results in the last two months?
Yes. Outhouses in ger areas will be supervised according to the Law on Hygiene. Within
this framework, the standard on outhouses was renewed and are being enforced at
national level since February 1, 2016. The old standard only allowed one type of outhouse.
As people’s consumption have changed, the types of toilets they use have also changed.
Four different types of toilets have been standardized, specifically pit latrine, dry, bio and
low-water maintenance outhouses. Districts, soums and khoroo authorities have been given
information related to the regulation.
Do households in ger areas have to change their toilets to meet the new standard?
They will not be demanded to immediately change their toilets. They will have to gradually
make their toilets consistent to the standard in stages. Once pit latrines of households become
full, they have to disinfect and bury old pit latrines and choose a new one from the four types
of outhouses specified in the standard.
Households can postpone this work until their current pit latrines become full. But they are
required to change their outhouses when it becomes full to meet standards.
Ulan Bator police rounded-up these unpleasant types in an early morning raid.
People who spit or urinate in public should be fined according to the law but it
isn’t happening because there isn’t a regulation for the new Law on Hygiene.
Shouldn’t these conducts be controlled from the day the law becomes effective?
The Law on Hygiene has been effective during all this time. The provision stating that a
penalty will be imposed on those who spit, dispose nasal discharge, urinate or release
anything that pollutes the air in public has been implemented since February 29.
Let’s say that a person witnesses a passerby spit on the street. What should
that person do? Where should he or she report to?
There are three organizations that can hold people accountable for violating the law.
They are specialized inspection agencies, mayors, and the police.
The details about where to report and address violations to is written in Article 20.1.8
of the Law on Hygiene. It states that one should report to the police if they witness a
person spitting, diposing nasal discharge, littering cigarette butts, leaving without
cleaning their pet’s excretion or urinating on the street, road and in public areas. In
this case, they must take a photograph of the act and then report to the police. The
police will investigate and prove that a violation of the law has occured.
A remnant of the disgraced old regime.
According to unofficial statistics, Orkhon Province is doing very well in reporting
violators and enforcing the Law on Hygiene. I hear that people who report offenders
spitting, urinating or doing other conducts that pollute the environment and
streets to the police with photographs to prove the violation are awarded 5,000 MNT.
In other words, the police charges 20,000 MNT from offenders and rewards 5,000 MNT
to the person who exposed the offender.
Residents of Uvurkhangai Province have initiated to partially implement this provision.
Residents of Uvurkhangai Province have initiated to partially implement this provision.
In the past, violations specified in the old version of the Law on Hygiene were
imposed with a penalty ranging from 5,000 MNT to 250,000 MNT. In addition, other
penalties included suspension of operation and revocation of license. But the new
revised version increased the minimum penalty amount to 50,000 MNT, meaning that
the accountability has been increased.
To encourage indoor urination...
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