State Council calls for further developing silver economy

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council on Friday held an executive meeting to evaluate the development of the silver economy, as well as hear a report on ensuring the payment of migrant workers wages.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Li Qiang, emphasized that expanding the silver economy is an important measure to actively respond to the aging population and promote high-quality development that will benefit both the present and future.

According to the meeting, it is necessary for the government to effectively fulfill its responsibility to secure basic needs, strengthen basic livelihood protection for senior people, and increase the supply of basic public services.

It stressed the importance of using market mechanisms, fully utilizing the role of various business entities and social organizations, and better meet the multi-level and diverse needs of the senior people.

It is necessary to continue to improve relevant policies and measures, focusing on solving the most pressing issues of great concern, such as home care, medical treatment, and health care for the senior people, the meeting said.

During the meeting, it was recommended that the government should optimize services and improve administrative efficiency, focus on major issues raised by the people and enterprises, strengthen coordination and cooperation, take the initiative to reform and innovate, and further optimize service processes using digital technology and other means.

The meeting called for resolving several important issues every year, such as promptly copying and promoting positive experiences and practices, persisting in implementation, and continuously enhancing the people and enterprises' sense of fulfillment.

The meeting pointed out that the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10, is the busiest time for migrant workers to negotiate their wages. The government must ensure that migrant workers are paid and firmly crack down on acts of intentionally defaulting on their wages.

It is necessary to improve the long-term mechanism for dealing with wage defaults, strengthen regular monitoring, evaluation, inspection and supervision, and promote the implementation of various systems and policies to ensure the payment of wages to migrant workers, according to the meeting.

The meeting also decided to submit the draft amendment of the Accounting Law and the draft energy law to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for review. At the meeting, a draft interim regulation on the management of carbon emissions trading was also adopted.