China to raise fees on coal mining: report

China will raise fees on using coal mines across the country in a bid to save energy by curbing wasteful mining, state media reported on Wednesday.

“We will soon charge resource utilisation fees in the whole coal mining sector to achieve our energy-saving goal,” the China Daily said, citing Vice Finance Minister Zhang Shaochun.
The government will invest the fees in expanding coal exploration and to improve environmental protection and the livelihoods of miners, the report said.

Pilot programmes have been conducted in eight provinces and regions including Shanxi and Inner Mongolia in the north since a reform of the fees started in November 2006, aiming to improve awareness of resource savings.

Asia Times