Thursday, August 10, 2000, updated at 11:14(GMT+8)
China
Guizhou Closed Down 3,600 Illegal Firecracker Workshops
This year, Guizhou has closed down more than 3,600 unregistered factories and private workshops manufacturing firecrackers.
The public security departments of Guizhou province have been cracking down on workshops manufacturing fireworks without a license and at the same time, adopted measures to increase the management over firecracker production and transportation. They will review enterprises that have permits and will approve and grant licenses to firecracker production and retail companies above the county level. Potassium chlorate, a material used to make firecrackers, can only be bought in stores which have completed purchase and transportation procedures with and received approval by the local public security departments.
The public security departments also ask that relevant departments conduct frequent security inspection of these enterprises to completely eliminate hidden dangers.