Guangdong Finance Bureau to Spend 1.9 Billion Yuan on Boosting Foreign Trade
 The Guangdong Provincial Finance Bureau will spend 1.9 billion Yuan to adjust the structure for exporting products and upgrade the trade in processed products. Our journalist Li Hongzhong has the details:
 Guangdong's trade growth rate in 2008 slowed down to 7.8% year-on-year due to the global financial crisis. Addressing a press conference, the head of Guangdong's Department for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Liang Yaowen, said that the first impact was dramatic decline in orders.
 According to a survey conducted in the 4th quarter of last year, buyers' orders for 2009 have decreased by 30 to 40% year on year.Liang also revealed that the crisis has harmed the mutual confidence:
previously when we were dealing with American or European buyers, we seldom had cases of delayed payments. But now, companies failing to pay is on the rise even though they had previously signed contracts.
The government decided to spend 1.9 billion Yuan to adjust the structure for export products, 1.5 times more than last year, indicating the government's determination to upgrade the foreign trade structure.

Province-wide Skill Training Project to be Launched for Agricultural Workers
A province-wide skill training project will be launched in Guangdong to help agricultural workers enhance their skills. Jobless agricultural workers are not the only ones aimed by this new program, as it also welcomes farmers currently employed. According to the Guangdong Labor and Social Security Bureau, up to 4 million workers will benefit from this project.

 Smoking Ban in Public Places to be Enforced Starting this Year
Yesterday, deputy-secretary of Guangzhou's adminstration, Zhao Nanxian, said that smoking in public places in Guangzhou will be baned starting this year, for the sake of the upcoming Asian Games. During the first half of 2009, the airport, hospitals, schools, hotels and other public places should become non-smoking venue.
 
Minimum Height of Ticket-free for Children in Guangzhou to Become 1.2 Meters
 Guangzhou's Price Control Administration announced this afternoon (Jan 20) that starting on the first day of the Spring Festival (Jan 25), the maximum height for parents to see their children travel ticket-free will go from 1 meter 10 to 1 meter 20, whilst children ranging between 1 meter 20 and 1.meter 50 will benifit from half-price tickets on buses, the metro, ferries and most places of interests throughout Guangzhou. This is the first time Guangzhou has adjusted its ticket-free policy for children since the PRC was founded.

    (photo source:sina.com)