The government will invest more than 1.33 billion yuan (US$176
million) to help cut pollutant emissions and build more effective
environmental monitoring systems across the country, said
Vice-Minister of Finance Zhang Hongli.
Zhang said the charge on sulfur dioxide emissions will be
doubled to 1.26 yuan per kilogram within three years and that on
chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions should be raised to a
varying extent in accordance with local conditions, according to a
statement on the ministry's website.
Environment of the Kunyu
River in Beijing has greatly improved in the past years.
The central government released a comprehensive blueprint in
June on cutting emissions of pollutants and energy saving.
According to the plan, the feasibility of imposing an environment
tax should be studied and a tax on resource use should be
introduced.
The levy on sewage discharge will also be raised from the
current 0.67 yuan (9 US cents) per ton.
The Ministry of Finance will channel more funds to environmental
protection departments, Zhang said.
The funds will be used to support pollution monitoring, law
enforcement and the setting of environmental standards, he
said.
The ministry has set up a special fund for the environmental
monitoring in central and western China, Zhang said. "Fiscal
support for environmental monitoring in poor regions has been
strengthened."
The central government coffer recently established a special
fund for cutting pollutant emissions.
It will mainly be used to monitor pollutant emissions and build
an index and appraisal system for emission monitoring.
Zhang said 1.33 billion yuan had been earmarked for this. The
fund will also be used to promote emissions trading, Zhang
said.
Local governments achieving the highest emission reductions will
be rewarded, the official said.
The impact of cutting emissions and the closure of heavily
polluting companies on poor regions would be assessed and subsidies
or rewards would be offered to them.
Zhang said the government has drafted rules on the management of
the use of funds for emission cuts. Subsidies would be given to
western regions that are active in building wastewater treatment
facilities.
(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2007)
