The State Council issued a national decree on Monday, with a series of energy-saving regulations for official cars of state-funded departments and organizations, to take effect on October 1, 2008.

The rules state that governors and other officials in public organizations will be punished if they use too many cars or refuse to scrap heavily polluting vehicles. The government plans to confiscate and auction off such cars.

State-funded departments and organizations include fully and partly state-funded national departments, institutions and organizations.

The rules add that official cars must be equipped with standard fittings only, and should use clean energy. Old official cars must be scrapped as per existing regulations.

(CRI August 13, 2008)