From today until Wednesday, anyone with a college or higher education and having a fixed residence in Shanghai can apply for the new vocation at the Shanghai Certified Broker Association.

"The first group of meteorological agents is expected to roll out by the end of next month. They will be a link between the bureau and local firms or individuals in offering business-specific weather information," said Shao Qiaozhen, vice secretary general of the association.

Shao explained that applicants will undergo a training program, including topics like meteorology, economy and related laws in 20 days, and will qualify as agents if they pass an examination.

The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau and the meteorological bureau plan to issue a provisional rule to regulate the new broker trade following months of discussion.

The meteorological bureau revealed that it has been waiting a long time for professional brokers to help boost the stagnant development of the weather economy in the city, which is now facing competition from overseas counterparts.

"Unlike in developed countries, local firms do not factor in meteorological data while taking manage-ment decisions," said Yao Zhizhan, director of the Shanghai Weather Forecast Center under the bureau.

Though the business-specific weather information service was launched in the 1980s, only some 200 companies have paid regularly for it, most of them are steel makers, navigation firms or chemical plants.

"The limited clientele has brought us several million yuan a year, which is spent on improving facilities," said Xu Jiye of the bureau.

To make matters worse, some meteorological service giants from Japan and the United States have set up branch offices in Shanghai, seeking a share in the big weather market, according to an analysis report from the bureau.

Officials believe that the emergence of "weather brokers" will push more firms and individuals to buy weather information and raise the bureau's competitiveness.

(eastday.com November 25, 2002)