Vehicles, housing and bullying among key topics
New energy cars exempt from vehicle purchase tax
Starting from Monday, buyers of new energy cars will be exempted from paying vehicle purchase tax until the end of 2020, according to a joint notice by four ministries on Dec 27.
The notice was released by the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The document said an updated list of new energy vehicles exempted from the tax will be released, and those that were already on the list prior to Dec 31 last year will continue to enjoy no vehicle purchase tax.
Developers, brokers can not reject housing fund loans
Four ministries, including the Ministry of Housing and UrbanRural Development, released a notice to ensure employees’ rights to apply for housing provident fund loans when buying apartments.
The notice said the approval process should be accelerated and be finished within 10 working days after the applications are submitted, while real estate developers and brokers who restricted and declined such loans will be punished.
Employees who pay the housing provident funds can call hotlines, such as the 12345 hotline, to submit their complaints if confronted with violations against the notice, the document said.
Annuity change set to be introduced in February
Annuity must be paid by employees and their employers for individual accounts, according to a regulation promulgated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance.
The regulation, which will take effect on Feb 1, stipulates that enterprises are allowed to pay 8 percent of their payroll for their employees’ annuity, while the total volume should be no more than 12 percent of the payroll.
Online food platforms to be liable for safety
The guideline on managing the safety of online food services took effect on Monday, clarifying platforms providing the services will be liable for online orders.
The guideline, released by the China Drug and Food Administration, was the first regulation in this field after online food orders have boomed in recent years. It aims to ensure food safety and online food service providers must have actual restaurants.
The platforms, which connect consumers with restaurants and deliverymen, now have the responsibility of previewing restaurants, overseeing food delivery and safeguarding consumers’ rights. This way food safety for online orders can be ensured, the guideline said.
New regulation due on QR-code-based payment
A new regulation will enter into force on April 1 on paying for things by scanning a barcode such as the QR codes, according to the People’s Bank of China, the central bank.
The central bank issued a notice on the regulation, setting the daily payment cap of no more than 500 yuan ($76) for static barcodes, while QR-code-based payment agencies must get qualifications and will have more responsibilities in guarding against risks, the regulation said.
Another two regulations were also issued to set technological standards for security and payment terminals.
Schools to be closely monitored to fight bullying
A work plan was recently released by 11 departments, including the Ministry of Education, to control school bullying and build harmonious campuses.
The plan set out four measures to prevent school bullying, including regular education on preventing and controlling such activities. Meanwhile, parents will also be trained to strengthen their awareness on laws and custodian duties.
A surveillance video system will be established at schools and regulations on controlling bullying will be introduced. Inspections will be conducted regularly, the plan said.