Training courses target work injury prevention

The central government will provide training courses on better preventing occupational injuries in mining, machinery manufacturing, railway transportation and railway construction.

In a notice published on Friday, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and four other central government agencies said all workers at key enterprises in the aforementioned industries must receive training before the end of 2025. Priority should be given to frontline workers, it said.

Training courses include policies and regulations related to safety in production, work-related injury prevention and education about accidents that cause such injuries, with targeted training for different categories of personnel. The courses will be conducted both online and offline, the notice said.

Policies extended to aid small businesses

Financial authorities have decided to extend several favorable measures such as loan support and tax reductions for small- and micro-enterprises in an effort to help boost their growth.

Taxpayers with monthly sales revenues of no more than 100,000 yuan ($14,000) will continue to be exempt from value-added tax, according to statements jointly released by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration on Aug 2.

Meanwhile, a policy that provided small- and micro-enterprises and self-employed households with a 1 percent value-added tax rate — down from 3 percent — will remain in effect.

Relevant financial support will also be maintained. Lender income stemming from loan interest and guarantee fees related to these small business entities will remain exempt from value-added tax, and their loan contracts will continue to be exempt from stamp duty.

All the policies mentioned above will be effective until the end of 2027, the statements said.

Officials seek solutions as bus stations struggle

Transportation officials are considering ways to transform the country's passenger bus services to better adapt to people's travel habits and secure the sector's healthy and orderly development, according to a notice published on Aug 2.

The notice was jointly issued by the Ministry of Transport and nine other central government agencies as bus stations are witnessing a significant decline in the number of passengers and a remarkable decrease in the efficiency of the facilities' usage.

According to the notice, transportation departments nationwide are required to optimize the layout and functions of bus stations, reasonably adjust the number of bus stations and increase the number of stops.

Such transitions should take the local population distribution and the needs of passengers into consideration, it said.

New bus stations must be developed into integrated passenger transport hubs connected to railway stations and airports, the notice said.

Transportation, culture and tourism authorities are required to encourage the operators of bus stations to increase cooperation with travel agencies in order to expand tourism and business services in the stations.

The notice also said that redundant personnel in bus stations should be transferred to appropriate posts in railways, logistics, postal services, express delivery and other industries.