It is the people and the market that will have the final say on the development of Internet cafe business, said Tuo Zuhai, an official with the Ministry of Culture, Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the official said local authorities should decide the number of Internet cafes in an area, in accordance with market demand.

In 2004, the government launched a campaign to rectify the fledgling Internet parlor business, by closing down unlicensed ones and stopping the approval of new ones.

The government will issue new licenses in areas where the number of Internet cafes has failed to meet demand, while localities where there are too many cyber parlors, no new licenses will be issued, according to the official.

The government will continue supporting the development of franchised cyber cafes, Tuo said.

Source: Xinhua