New system targets Beijing buildings

A new credit system covering construction material providers takes effect in Beijing on Friday, aimed at guaranteeing the high quality of buildings.

The capital has been making more efforts to control air pollution, including closing or relocating polluting companies in and city and in neighboring Tianjin and Hebei province.

As a result, most construction materials, including cement and steel, is coming or will come from other provinces and cities, said Zheng Xuezhong, deputy director in charge of the construction material bureau under the Beijing Municipal Committee of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

To guarantee safety and better management of construction materials, the municipal government has announced that a pilot program for the credit system covering these providers will take effect on Friday.

The pilot policy covers the behavior of construction material providers and is open to revision based on results over a certain period.

Companies providing ready-mixed concrete, waterproof materials, windows and plastic pipes will be targeted at first.

Under the pilot program, if providers register scores lower than 40 points, they will be severely punished.