A number of ministries, including the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have responded in the last week to issues of public concern.

Veterans to get help finding work

China will bolster measures to help military veterans find jobs and start new businesses, according to a guideline issued on Aug 2.

The guideline, jointly issued by 12 central government departments including the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, said more favorable policies will be rolled out for veterans to help them find employment and start new businesses, in addition to measures already available for the general public.

To improve the chances of veterans getting work and launching businesses, the training of veterans will be included in the academic education and vocational education system.

The education of servicemen will be further aligned with that of veterans with the support of colleges and vocational colleges to help the veterans improve their capabilities.

The hiring requirements of veterans at institutions, social groups and enterprises will be lowered, and quotas for government jobs should be raised, the guideline said, adding that businesses may qualify for tax benefits if they hire veterans.

The government will create a more enabling environment for veterans to start businesses, with measures set up in reserved areas for veterans in startup incubators or industrial zones. Veterans who set up businesses are entitled to financial and tax benefits, the guideline said.

Social capital will be encouraged to set up funds to help veteran entrepreneurs.

The guideline added that helping veterans get jobs or run businesses is vital to realizing their self-worth, promoting social and economic development, and contributing to the national defense.

More cancer drugs on insurance list

More anticancer drugs will be included in medical insurance coverage by the end of September, the National Medical Security Administration said on Aug 4.

A new round of negotiations between the administration and pharmaceutical companies to add such drugs to the medical insurance list is scheduled to finish by the end of September, according to the administration.

All the drugs that have been selected as candidates are of high clinical value, and will target different blood cancers or tumors, including colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma, lymphoma, and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The country has exempted anticancer drugs and imported traditional Chinese medicine from import tariffs since May 1.

With the cancelling of tariffs, 12 pharmaceutical companies have recalculated the prices of their products and will submit applications for price adjustments as required by the administration.

Tax change for new energy vehicles

China will scrap vehicle and vessel taxes on new energy vehicles and ships powered by natural gas, according to a statement jointly released by four central government departments.

The Ministry of Finance, together with another three departments, said that the tax on some small engine vehicles will also be cut by half.

Car producers or resellers of imported vehicles can submit reports to relevant sections of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to include their products in the catalogues available for the tax cuts or exemptions.

The ministries also vowed to punish in accordance with the law those who provided false information in order to make their products part of the tax cut or exemption. The tax cut takes effect on the date of publication on the ministry’s website.

End of line for nuisance calls

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on July 30 that it will step up its crackdown on nuisance calls in an action plan that will last until the end of next year.

The plan was jointly launched by the ministry and 12 other departments, including the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

The plan recognizes that nuisance calls are severely affecting the daily lives of people.

The departments will adopt different means to target nuisance calls of various kinds, with measures to step up management of telecommunications resources.

Actions that illegally obtain the personal information of others will also be targeted, according to the plan.