Rebuild of area nearly complete

Efforts to help residents of Lushan in Sichuan province rebuild their homes, construct new ones and restore the region after an earthquake two years ago are nearly complete.

By the end of March, the central government had allocated about 44 billion yuan ($7.1 billion) to the earthquake-hit regions in Sichuan to help with "reconstruction, ecological restoration, geological disaster prevention and economic development", Zhao Changsheng, head of emergency response coordination at the Ministry of Finance, told a news conference in Beijing.

"We have almost completed the central government's subsidy programs for Lushan," Zhao said. "The ministry is also cooperating with other government bodies to provide tax rebates for enterprises and individuals affected by the disaster, significantly reducing their financial burdens."