China In-focus: Tax relief worth $21bn unveiled to boost slowing economy; policymakers pledge more steps

RIYADH: China unveiled a major tax relief to help lift the world’s second largest economy. The country’s policymakers also pledged to take necessary measures to help the economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

·      China unveiled a tax relief worth over 140 billion yuan ($21 billion) to help boost its slowing economy, Bloomberg reported. This comes as the extended lockdowns since March have hit the economic growth of the Asian country. The support is mainly targeting companies and firms rather than households. Other measures taken include additional tax rebates to firms as well as cuts of around 60 billion yuan on passenger-car purchase taxes, according to a decision from China’s State Council.

·      Chinese policymakers have vowed to help the world’s second largest economy get back on its feet by implementing the necessary steps, Reuters reported citing the Cabinet. The measures to be taken include broadening tax credit rebates, postponing social security payments as well as loan repayments, introducing new investment projects, among others.

·      Lockdowns in China are predicted to have a greater effect on global supply chains than the Russia-Ukraine war, Reuters reported citing the head of German logistics company DHL Group’s freight business. Global supply chain bottlenecks, as a result of the lockdowns, are expected to linger through Christmas this year and all of the next year as a huge part of the global economy highly depends on China, the head said.