New Laws, Regulations That Go into Effect in China on September
1
A series of new laws and regulations, ranging from compulsory
education to wildlife protection which will impact the daily life
of people and the interests of the country, come into effect in
China on Friday, September 1.
The new regulations include:
-- Free compulsory education ensured
"Equal compulsory education for children in cities and the
countryside" was for the first time written into the newly-revised
Compulsory Education Law.
The revised law aims to give children in both cities and the
countryside nine years of free compulsory education.
The costs will be jointly covered by the central and local
governments which are required to put the expenditure into their
budgets.
-- Reservoir compensation funds guaranteed
The State Council's Subsidy Policies for People Who Were
Relocated to Make Way for Dams and Reservoirs becomes effective on
September 1.
The central government will spend more than 13 billion yuan
(US$1.63 billion) every year subsidizing 22 million people who were
moved to make room for water reservoirs created by dams. The money
will be raised by increasing power bills by 0.62 cents per kilowatt
hour.
China has built more than 3,000 large and medium-sized dams
since 1949 for flood control, electricity generation, irrigation
and water supply.
-- Controls on explosives tightened
China issued stricter new controls and regulations on the
civilian use and storage of explosives after a series of accidental
explosions in recent years.
The government will also establish a database to monitor all
transactions and transport of explosives.
All manufacturers, vendors and users are to establish a
registration system that ensures the quantities, type and the
destination of explosives are entered into the government's
database.
-- Import, export of endangered species banned
China has banned the import and export of endangered species of
wild fauna and flora.
The regulation will protect and regulate the trade of wild
animals and vegetation, and comply with the Convention on
International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora.
-- Protection of mapping data
The Mapping Management Regulation states that important mapping
data must only be released by the government.
-- Prohibition of fraud in financial aid to foreign
countries
The Ministry of Commerce's "Foreign Aid Guidebook" attempts to
remove corruption from the management of relief materials and
financial aid destined for foreign countries.
No department or agency will be allowed to seek illegitimate
gains through collusion with bidding companies, it said.
The ministry will evaluate each foreign aid project and penalize
those who violate the regulation. The penalty includes fines of
30,000 yuan (US$3,750).
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)
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