A government subsidy of more than 30 percent is to be offered to
promote the use of energy-efficient lighting products in China,
which aims at reducing power use by 29 billion kilowatt hours by
2010.
In order to replace the country's widely used incandescent light
bulbs and other low-efficiency lighting products, the Ministry of
Finance and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
jointly launched a program to promote the use of 150 million energy
efficient lighting products nationwide, according to a circular
released by NDRC on Monday.
The government would offer a 30-percent subsidy on wholesale
purchases and 50 percent on retail sales. The circular did not
specify quantities that would qualify for the subsidies.
The government will subsidize manufacturers that bid the lowest
supply price for the program.
Consumers would be encouraged to buy energy-efficient bulbs
because the manufacturer would sell them at a discount equal to the
subsidy.
The energy efficient lighting products manufacturers should meet
national energy-saving requirements and have well-established
after-sales services. The list of these enterprises and the product
prices should be decided through opening bidding process later,
said the NDRC.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2008)