China announces measures to cut industrial electricity costs

BEIJING - China's top economic planner unveiled new measures to cut electricity costs for industrial and commercial users in the latest effort to reduce business burdens.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said the fees for funding major hydropower projects will be reduced by 50 percent to lower electricity costs.

China will also cut the value-added tax for power grids and encourage industrial and commercial users to participate in spot-price trading of electricity to further lower prices, the NDRC said in a notice.

The new measures will take effect on July 1.

The move came as the government pledged in March that the average electricity price for general industrial and commercial businesses will be cut by another 10 percent to reduce burdens on the real economy.

To invigorate growth, China has in recent years adopted an array of measures to reduce business burden, including additional tax breaks and lower administrative fees.