China issues rules on commercial sand control activities

The State Forestry Administration recently issued the "Methods on Commercial Sand Control," to regularize profit-oriented activities by institutions and individuals to control the country's desertification.

Institutions and individuals who have acquired the right to use the land of desertification will enjoy preferential policies including financial subsidies, lower-interest bank loans and tax reduction or exemption, according to the regulations.

Interested parties should sign contracts with the owner of the land they are going to work on for profits, the document says.

It also demands these units and people to send their application to authorities in charge of forestry. The latter should organize experts to check the feasibility of the applicants' sand-control plan.

The regulations will go into action Sept. 1.