ULAN BATOR, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Mongolia has purchased 14.3 tons of gold from legal entities and individuals in the first three quarters of the year.

The figure is a drop of 378 kg from the same period last year, the bank said in a statement on Monday.

As of September, the bank's average gold purchase price was 96,204.31 Mongolian Tugrik (around 38 U.S. dollars) per gram.

The Bank of Mongolia plans to buy 22 tons of gold by the end of the year.

The country's central bank launched a five-month campaign called National Gold to the Fund of Treasures in May, aiming to encourage gold miners and individuals to sell gold to banks.