The working group entrusted with developing the Smokeless Ulaanbaatar program has said in its report to the Government that MNT 18.8 trillion will be required for the entire work. 

The main causes of the air pollution in Ulaanbaatar are burning raw coal, smoke from vehicles, dust, garbage and lack of greenery. The program will focus on developing low-pressure stoves for use at home, on less polluting means of transportation, building apartments, reducing internal migration and increasing green areas.  As the work progresses, air pollution will be reduced by 30 percent by 2012 and by 50 percent in 2016.

Prime Minister S. Batbold, who had assigned the group the task, said the problem has to be met nationally, with help from foreign countries with the necessary experience and technology. The draft program will be submitted to Parliament in April for consideration.

The population of the capital increases by 12,000 per year. Of the 196,000 families here, 61 percent live in ger districts. The group, led by the Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism, believes the best option is to construct apartments in the ger districts. It calculated that MNT8 trillion is needed to build 100,000 apartments, MNT 6 trillion to construct new roads to connect  provinces with one another and thus slow down migration to Ulaanbaatar.  MNT 33 billion is needed to use gas as public transportation fuel.

The state will need 20 years to provide this money, but there is also the option to mortgage some strategic mines and raise money in international markets. If everything goes fine, the 100,000 apartments would be ready by 2016.

Director of Eco-Asia Institute Ts.Adiyasuren criticized the approach of the group.  Pollution producers must be penalized and everything cannot be left to the state. He also opposed so much new construction in Ulaanbaatar, instead of moving out.