Podcast

Retail shops reopen to meet needs

Updated: 2010-04-23 14:06

進(jìn)入英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)論壇下載音頻去聽(tīng)寫(xiě)專(zhuān)區(qū)一展身手

About 60 retail shops in Yushu in Northwest China's Qinghai province have reopened to help meet the needs of local residents following the earthquake that struck the region.

These shops are mainly selling daily essentials such as food and clothing, He Shaomin, director of the provincial commerce department, said on Thursday.

According to He, starting from Thursday commercial authorities will expand the number of temporary vendors to better serve residents in the quake-hit region.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce delivered 50 prefabricated shops, 35 tent shops and six mobile shops to the Qinghai provincial government in Xining, which were due to be transported to Yushu on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry has also requisitioned 600 tons of frozen beef and mutton for the region and coordinated wholesale markets in neighboring Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, as well as in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, to ensure there is a sufficient supply of fresh vegetables, the statement said.

There has been a slight rise in the price of meat and vegetables in Xining and in some neighboring areas of Gansu and Sichuan provinces, but in general the price of daily essentials has remained stable.

Commercial premises were hit hard in the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Yushu. About 60 percent of the business outlets in the region collapsed, while 30 percent sustained damaged.

In the next few days, the ministry plans to increase the number of temporary shops in the quake region and encouraged private business operators to resume services, particularly in the catering and hairdressing sectors.

The supply of ethnic food, such as tsamba and butter, will be increased, and the price monitoring system will be extended from Xining to Yushu, the ministry said.

However, in Yushu, many small businesses are uncertain about their future, including those proprietors who have decided to stay.

Jiang Hui, a small businessman from Nanyang city of Central China's Henan province, reopened his shop Wednesday in Gyegu, the center of Yushu county.

He and his wife set up their relief tent at the front of their damaged shop, laying out goods for sale, including toothbrushes, towels, soap and batteries.

Jiang said they would wait to see if there is any government compensation for quake loss - a common concern of many who decided to stay.

去聽(tīng)寫(xiě)專(zhuān)區(qū)一展身手

（中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Retail shops reopen to meet needs

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.