Electricity tariffs 'will not rise'

The government will not increase the price of refined oil or electricity until inflation is brought under control, a senior official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said yesterday.

Xu Zhimin, director of the NDRC's economic operations department said the commission is in discussions with several cabinet departments on a range of measures to deal with inflation, rising energy prices and the plight of power companies.

It is possible the government will subsidize coal-fired electricity firms, which have seen their profits slide as a result of rising coal prices, Xu said.