China will not start levying the fuel tax which is meant to replace the road maintenance fees in the near future, said an official with the Ministry of Finance.
The official said, quoted by Friday's China Daily, that the time is not ripe for introducing the new tax into practice and the government has not set a timetable.
He also denied rumors and some media reports that the government will start levying the fuel tax on July 1.
"It is unclear whether the international oil price, a major reason for the repeated delay of the new tax, will head towards a lower level," the official said.
According to him, the high oil prices and the relatively high tax rate will put an excessively heavy financial burden on users, especially those who frequently use vehicles including taxi drivers.
(People's Daily May 3, 2002)
