The Chinese government will increase subsidies to low-income
urban and rural families amid rising prices, said Wang Zhikun, an
official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), on Tuesday.
The official said that the MCA and the Ministry of Finance would
monitor the price situation and work out new policies in a timely
manner. Some new policies were likely to be publicized before the
Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year, which falls on
Feb. 7.
In 2007, China's consumer price index went up by 4.8 percent,
3.3 percent higher than the previous year, according to official
figures.
At the same time, central and local governments distributed 5.1
billion yuan (about 698 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies to
low-income families.
Last year, the central government allocated 3 billion yuan to
help local governments establish rural low-income insurance
systems.
(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)