Ministries address public concerns
Special plates to identify new energy vehicles
Special and unified license plates will be issued for new energy vehicles nationwide, following a successful pilot program in five cities, the Ministry of Public Security said.
The move was part of efforts to relieve pressure on energy consumption and boost environmental protection, the ministry announced on Aug 13.
The announcement also said new plates will be 40 millimeters wider than traditional ones and have an additional digit to signify electric vehicles.
Smaller new energy vehicles will be issued with green plates, while larger ones will get plates in green and yellow, the ministry said. Each plate will cost 100 yuan ($15).
Campaign launched against pyramid schemes
A three-month crackdown on pyramid schemes has been launched to better protect university graduates, following the death of a graduate who died after falling prey to a pyramid scheme in Tianjin.
A notice, released by four ministerial-level departments, including the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Public Security, targeted pyramid schemes that pretend to be recruitment agencies.
The document requires local authorities to severely crack down on and ban pyramid fraud while monitoring places vulnerable to these schemes.
The crackdown was the latest move following the case of Li Wenxing, a 23-year-old graduate, who was found dead in Jinghai district of Tianjin after being involved in a pyramid scheme through an online recruitment website. His death, allegedly because he was a victim of fraud, aroused nationwide rage against pyramid sellers.
Xinhua News Agency reported that pyramid schemes expanded through social networks in recent years.
Police investigated 2,826 cases in 2016, an increase of 19.1 percent more than that in 2015.
Food safety inspections to begin nationwide
A new round of nationwide food safety inspections will start on Saturday until Sept 10 to tackle the scourge of poor-quality food produced and sold by streetside vendors and restaurants, according to a recent State Council notice.
The Food Safety Committee of the State Council announced the inspections and strict implementation of the food safety law in all provincial-level regions in China on Thursday.
Food safety has to be ensured from the farm to the table, the notice said.
The inspection will focus on items such as cooking oil and rice.
Local food safety authorities are required to check food production and how food is sold and name any violators.
The State Council’s Food Safety Committee will send inspection teams to each region to doublecheck if recommendations of previous inspections had been carried out.
23 billion yuan allocated to support agriculture
A total of 23 billion yuan has been allocated to support largescale agricultural production this year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Local governments are encouraged to innovate supportive measures for agricultural production, such as subsidized loans and promoting key technologies, to boost the development of moderately large-scale agricultural operation.
A national system for agricultural credit guarantees will be established and improved, and private services for agricultural production such as mechanized drying should be promoted, said the ministry.
Certain types of food failed to meet standard
The China Food and Drug Administration has found three foodstuffs failed to meet national standards.
The drug and food watchdog made the announcement after checking 449 batches of food samples, such as biscuits, nut products, sugar and honey.
Credit files to be made for agricultural producers
Credit files will be established for sellers of agricultural materials and producers of agricultural products, according to a notice released by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Agricultural departments at all levels are required to set up such files to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products, the document said.
A new supervision mechanism will be created centering on the credits.