Weekly policies concerning people’s lives

2017-08-19
english.gov.cn

License plates to ID new energy vehicles

China will issue special license plates for new energy vehicles in every city nationwide, following the success of a pilot program in five cities, in an effort to relieve pressure on energy use and protect the environment, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Aug 13.

The ministry said the new plates are 40 mm wider than traditional plates and have an additional digit, signifying the vehicle is electric.

Smaller new energy cars will be issued green plates, and larger ones will get green and yellow plates, the ministry said.

Details:>> License plates to ID new energy vehicles

Campaign against pyramid schemes

China will start a three-month crackdown on pyramid selling following the death of a university graduate who fell prey to a pyramid scheme.

From Aug 15, pyramid organizations disguised as recruitment agencies will be the main target, according to a notice released by four government agencies, including the State Administration for Industry & Commerce and the Ministry of Public Security.

Details:>> China starts 3-month campaign against pyramid schemes

Further support to logistics industry

The State Council released a guideline on Aug 17 to further reduce costs and improve efficiency in the logistics industry in a bid to drive development of the real economy in China.

New and effective logistics methods using the internet should be introduced and promoted and policy support should also be provided to reduce the burden on enterprises, said the guideline.

It also suggested introducing value-added tax reform of highway tolls within 2017 and regulating illegal charges.

Details:>> China to further support logistics industry

Food safety inspections to begin nationwide

A new round of nationwide food safety inspections will take place between Aug 26 and Sept 10 to reduce the risks posed by small workshops, vendors and restaurants that produce substandard food.

The State Council’s Food Safety Commission announced the inspection and the implementation of the food safety law in all 31 provincial regions on the Chinese mainland last week.

The inspection would put more focus on bulk commodities, cooking oil and rice. Small-scale e-commerce platforms will also receive close attention, as will food security at colleges and universities.

Details:>> Food safety inspections to begin nationwide next week

Credit file for agricultural producers

The Ministry of Agriculture issued a circular on the establishment of credit files for business operators and producers of agricultural products.

Agricultural departments at all levels are required to set up such files to ensure quality and safety of agricultural products and build up a new-type of supervision mechanism with a focus on credit.

$3.5b allocated to support agricultural operation

A total of 23 billion yuan ($3.5 billion) has been allocated to support the moderate scale operation of agriculture this year, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Local government are encouraged to provide innovative and various supportive measures, such as subsidized loans and key technology promotion, to push moderate scale operation of agriculture.

The national agricultural credit guarantee system should be established and improved, and social services for agricultural production should be promoted, said the ministry.

Substandard food found

China’s drug and food watchdog has announced that three batches of food are substandard.

A total of 449 batches of food samples, covering cookies, nuts and sugar, were checked, according to the China Food and Drug Administration.