Policy Digest

Ministries send aid to natural disaster victims

As many as 32 million people affected by natural disasters have received aid from the central government's relief fund to help them get through the winter, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on its website.

Together with the Ministry of Finance, it allocated more than 5.4 billion yuan ($800 million) to 1,714 county-level authorities in December to help them guarantee the basic well-being of people affected by earthquakes, floods and droughts.

All beneficiaries received money before Spring Festival.

As many as 18 provinces, including Hubei, Guizhou and Hebei, also set up their own relief funds amounting to a total of 330 million yuan, while Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces distributed cotton-padded clothing and quilts to disaster-hit residents.

State-owned health institutions get a push

The central government has issued a plan to promote the development of health institutions run by State-owned enterprises, saying they play an important role in the national health service system.

Health institutions run by SOEs should do their part to provide basic health services and treatment of critical, difficult or complicated conditions, and fulfill their responsibility to train healthcare workers and conduct research.

They should also undertake tasks prescribed by law or assigned by the government, including providing public health services and first aid in case of emergencies.

The plan tasked certain government agencies with including the health institutions in regional health plans and encouraged those that meet requirements to apply for major research projects, among other measures.

More oversight sought on artifacts trade

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Cultural Heritage Administration have issued a notice calling for stricter enforcement of administrative penalties against the illegal trade of cultural artifacts.

The notice issued in late January required local cultural authorities to impose penalties according to the law on those who buy or sell artifacts, the trade of which is forbidden by the State, and on those who smuggle artifacts out of the country.

The authorities should strengthen supervision of both online and on-site trading on internet platforms and at auction houses and antique shops.

They should also conduct patrols and inspections, and handle complaints and reports in a timely manner to uncover illegal activities, the notice stated.

New energy vehicle pilot program launched

A nationwide pilot program has begun to introduce more new energy vehicles to the public sector, including government vehicles, city buses, taxis and postal service trucks, according to a notice issued earlier this month.

The notice, which was issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and seven other central agencies, stated that the pilot program, which will run through 2025, also aims to establish infrastructure to meet the battery charging and swapping needs of new energy vehicles.

The program will also work on developing a smart transportation system, green energy supply and new methods of communication to match the development of the vehicles.

Cities hoping to join the program should submit their work plans to provincial-level authorities for approval before they are recommended to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Transport, the notice said.

The two ministries will work with other agencies to decide which cities to include in the program.