By Zhao Yu

Recently, the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Transportation, in collaboration with the Municipal Bureau of Finance, released the "Implementation Rules for Ningbo's Container Sea-Rail Intermodal Transportation Subsidy Funds." This marks the introduction of a revised financial support policy for sea-rail intermodal transport in Ningbo.

The Rules detail provisions on the duration of subsidy, scope of subsidy, subsidy amounts, eligibility requirements, and the procedures for application and subsidy issuance. They also outline policy performance management and supervision measures.

The financial support will adhere to the principles of focusing on key areas, applying specific approaches for each route, and operating through designated platforms. Operators of sea-rail intermodal transportation will receive subsidies after the intended outcomes have been achieved.

The new policy exclusively subsidizes operators involved in container sea-rail intermodal transportation at Ningbo port. This targeted support aligns more closely with national goals for transportation structure transformation.

Regarding the integration of credit into the policy scheme, the new rules consolidate and adjust the restrictive clauses from the previous set. They now specify that the applicant enterprise must not be listed on the Credit China Network's list of "dishonest persons subject to enforcement" or as a major tax offender within the year of applying for the subsidy.

The new rules aim to achieve several key targets between 2024 and 2026: ensure that the proportion of heavily loaded containerized sea-rail intermodal transport in Ningbo is at least 50% per year, reach a total volume of no less than 6 million TEUs of containerized sea-rail intermodal transport over three years, establish at least six new inland dry ports, and increase the total number of inland dry ports to no fewer than 42 by 2026.

The detailed application requirements and procedures for the new round of financial support policies for sea-rail intermodal transportation will be made available on the government website shortly.