Private firms get postponed payments

Migrant workers who hadn't been paid are first in line to receive wages

Over the past three months, governments at all levels and large State-owned enterprises have paid private enterprises more than 160 billion yuan ($24 billion) in postponed payments, with migrant workers the first to receive delayed wages, high-ranking officials said on Monday.

The economy is confronted with multiple challenges, including downward pressure on growth, but people will gain confidence when delayed payments arrive, Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, told a policy briefing hosted by the State Council Information Office on Monday.