China to speed up local govt bond issuance

BEIJING - China's legislature Saturday adopted a decision to speed up local government bond issuance before the approval of the annual fiscal budget.

Between Jan 1, 2019 and Dec 31, 2022, the State Council will be authorized to assign part of the newly-added quotas for local government bonds each year before the annual budget approval, according to the decision made at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

In 2019, the State Council can assign 1.39 trillion yuan ($203 billion) worth of bonds to local governments, as the cap for the new quotas will not be available before March.

This will help local governments promote the timely implementation of projects, ensure that funding from local government bond issuance plays a significant role in stabilizing investment, expanding domestic demand and improving weak links and maintaining sustained and healthy economic development, said the NPC Financial and Economic Committee.