China bids farewell to salt monopoly

- It took a while, but the free market is getting these days master of the Chinese table salt. The presumably oldest state monopoly is broken open in the world. Producers may determine from January 1, 2017 how much salt they do and where they want to bring it to market. The price regulation by the government therefore invalidate certain the government in Beijing this month.

The state monopoly was under French media France Info 776 BC brought by the emperor and thus survived 2700 years. France Info likened Friday ancient institution with the unpopular French salt tax, the 'Gabelle' that lasted under various regimes of the mid-fourteenth century until 1946.

The salt monopoly in China also survived turbulent times and revolution. The state spekte to control the greenhouse with the salt production and sales through all that process. The current government of President Xi Jinping is working to reform large SOEs. The dismantling of the salt monopoly is an important symbolic step in its policy. It is intended that the liberalization of salt market makes the salt on the table and in the kitchen cheaper.