New document to develop housekeeping service sector

BEIJING - China has issued a new document on developing the country's housekeeping service sector, aiming to promote the quality and market capacity of the sector.

The document, issued by the State Council General Office and made public Wednesday, noted that the housekeeping service sector plays an important role in boosting employment, implementing targeted poverty alleviation and ensuring people's livelihoods.

However, it also pointed out problems such as insufficient supply and lack of industry standards.

The document outlined 10 major task areas, such as full supporting measures to improve the quality of workers, which includes setting up housekeeping-related majors in schools and strengthening pre-service training and retraining for such personnel.

It also stipulated efforts to develop housekeeping enterprises, fiscal, taxation, and financial support and improvements in public service policies.

Moreover, measures should be taken to ensure the health of workers, maintain a well-functioned credit system and properly regulate and standardize the service in the industry, the document said.

It added that the development of the sector should also serve the expanding of employment channels for people in the country's poor areas.

The document said the State Council would set up an inter-ministerial mechanism, led by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce, to see relevant policies and measures be properly advanced.