Beijing looks to replace jobs lost due to new fuel tax

The central government is considering ways to re-employ the 150,000 to 300,000 transport workers who will likely lose their jobs as a result of the anticipated fuel tax reforms, the South China Morning Post reported. Affected positions would include fee collectors and ticket writers at toll gates along transport lines. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced last week that in addition to imposing new a fuel tax, a large number of toll gates and other fee collection points would be closed. The new tax, to be implemented January 1, is expected to boost revenue without increasing prices at pumps. The State Council is soliciting public proposals on how to handle the redundancies, including early retirement or re-employment at other posts in the transport sector.