'Expand welfare reforms'
A TOP government official overseeing economic reforms has called for the scope of the social security system to be expanded.
Wang Dongjin, Vice-Minister of the State Commission for Restructuring the Economy, made the call at a seminar in Qingdao to discuss changes to the allocation of public resources.
He said while the pace of social security reforms had been accelerated in recent years, they were basically limited to the state sector. Mr Wang wanted the system to include non-state sectors.
He believed expanding its scope would help solve the question of responsibility among firms and smooth the path of reforms and restructuring for state enterprises.
'The social security system is an integral part of the socialist market economy,' he said.
Meanwhile, the local Government in Qingdao is to help large and medium-sized state firms in financial difficulties with measures including transforming them into shareholding companies and allowing management to own more of the 154 firms in the city.
