A number of ministries, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Education and the State Administration for Market Regulation, have responded in the last week to issues of public concern.

Campaign to enhance market

China will launch a campaign to investigate the real estate market, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said on June 28.

The campaign, which starts next month and will last until the end of this year, will target wrongdoings in the real estate market in 30 cities.

Those who manipulate housing or rent prices, distribute false information or illegally provide loans for down payment will be targets of the campaign, the ministry said.

Real estate agents who use violence to expel tenants or embezzle their money will be also be punished, as well as real estate developers who sell homes against regulations or falsely raise prices.

Publishing false information on properties or deceiving or misleading homebuyers will also be penalized.

Local authorities are also urged to respond to issues of public concern and make cases of wrongdoing public. Government departments or members of staff who were found negligent or abuse their positions will also be held accountable.

Education department evaluated

Authorities are evaluating the performance of provincial education departments. It is the first time the country has evaluated the work of provincial education governments, according to a statement issued by the national education inspection office of the State Council on June 26.

The inspection includes the implementation of educational plans of the Communist Party of China, and the execution of education-related laws and policies.

Protection of people’s rights to education, and management of schools are also important aspects of the evaluation, and after-school study institutions are also under scrutiny. The Ministry of Education launched a campaign earlier this year to tighten supervision over such institutions, in a bid to ensure proper education of children.

Diploma certificate fees canceled

China will cancel fees charged for the certification of diplomas in higher education starting from July 1, the Ministry of Education announced on June 27.

Information about degrees and diplomas that have been registered and the database on diploma information can be accessed online, and their certification can be conducted digitally, the ministry said.

The ministry will vigorously promote the accessing of online information and certification services, further simplify service procedures and improve quality of services, it said.

Price drop in store for key drugs

The National Medical Security Administration said on June 28 that it will work to ensure anticancer drugs will see a marked price drop after import taxes were canceled.

The country has included 15 anticancer drugs in its 2017 catalog of drugs covered by medical insurance.

The administration will conduct special procurement drives to enable price drops through market competition, it said.

The authority will conduct more negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to include more anticancer drugs into the catalog of drugs covered by medical insurance, it said.

Funeral services to be inspected

The State Administration for Market Regulation said on June 27 that it will conduct more inspection of charges by cemeteries, funeral homes and funeral service agencies.

Cemeteries that fail to clearly mark the prices of tombs or funeral homes or observe prices set by the government will be punished, the administration said.

Those that fail to offer price discounts in accord with relevant regulations or defraud consumers or misuse dominant market status will also be penalized.

Local authorities should conduct random checks, rectify problems found, and urge funeral service providers to observe laws and regulations, the administration said.

It also said it welcomes whistle-blowing of illegal charges by the public through its platform on price oversight, both through online or by phone.