Chinese Vice Premier Zeng
Peiyan said during a visit to a chemical company in Beijing
that an energy conservation mechanism should be set up in
China.
Zeng made the remarks at
Beijing Yanshan Petrochem Company before China's Energy-saving
Week, which starts Sunday.
Energy conservation must be highlighted at the level of national
strategy, said Zeng.
Market reform should be sped up and the price of coal, power and
petroleum and a price forming mechanism should be set up to reflect
the scarcity of the resources, said Zeng.
The vice premier also urged the reform on financial and tax
systems including start of taxation on fuel oil and higher standard
for tax collection on resources.
China must increase structural adjustment by supporting third
industry and hi-tech industry with low energy cost, Zeng said.
The vice premier urged concerned departments to set up an
energy-saving legal system for tighter management and control in
the field.
He also called for more efforts to develop recycling economy and
push forward the recycling use of resources.
Zeng also said during a recent meeting on energy conservation
that China will accelerate pricing reform of major energy products
such as coal, electricity and oil, giving the market a greater role
in setting prices,
While improving the taxation system, the government will also
step up study on launching the fuel tax and raising the rate of
taxes on energy resources, Zeng told the meeting held earlier this
week to mark the energy-saving week.
Energy conservation is significant for the achievement of the
goal to "quadruple China's gross domestic product (GDP) while only
doubling energy consumption by 2020," said Zeng.
To save energy, the state will first support the development of
the low-energy consuming tertiary sector and high-tech industry,
and encourage the upgrading of the traditional industries with
advanced technologies, he said.
The government will ask heavy energy-consuming sectors and
enterprises to draw out and implement energy-saving plans, he said,
adding that more strict and compulsory standards on energy
consumption of products.
The vice premier stressed the urgency to develop a recycling
economy, which the recycling of resources should not only be
promoted in companies and industrial zones, but also in residential
quarters.
Zeng also called for more publicity of the importance of
energy-saving to enhance the people's resources-saving
awareness.
(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2005)