Ulan Bator, Dec 4 (TIWN) The Mongolian government on Wednesday decided to slash the price of processed fuel by 50 per cent amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Our people's livelihoods have been badly affected by the pandemic. Therefore, the government decided to reduce the price of processed fuel by 50 per cent from December 3 to April 1, media reports said. 

"In order to support the livelihoods of residents of ger areas of the capital city Ulan Bator during the pandemic," said Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.  The current price of processed fuel is 150,000 Mongolian tugriks (about 52.8 US dollars) per ton.  Mongolia replaced low-grade coal with processed fuel in Ulan Bator in 2019, to curb air pollution.  In other words, the processed fuel is currently used only in the capital city, which is home to over half of Mongolia's 3.2 million population.  Around 220,000 households live in Ulan Bator's ger (yurt, or round-shaped dwelling) districts, with no running water, central heating or sewerage systems, according to government data.