Shenzhen and Guangzhou are among Guangdong cities encouraged to open budget grocery stores to benefit low-income families, the provincial authorities said Sunday.
Guangdong will open at least 300 budget grocery stores selling food at lower prices in Pearl River Delta cities this year.
By the end of the 2013, the grocery store network will cover the whole province, according to a joint statement released by 11 provincial departments including pricing and agricultural authorities. The grocery stores should be built near big populations of low-income earners.
The program was announced after the opening of the first budget grocery store in Guangzhou on Sunday, which sells eggs, edible oil, vegetables and meat at an average price 20 percent lower than supermarkets.
Shenzhen and Guangzhou, which rely heavily on agricultural produce from other cities, could be easily affected by price changes, so they will take the lead to build budget grocery stores, Sun Shaoqi, chief of the provincial pricing bureau, said.
The program is still in the initial stage and needs support from governments. Sun hoped agricultural producers, farm produce market operators and supermarkets would operate the grocery stores, which are expected to play a role in stabilizing prices. Store operators will be paid subsidies by the governments but no details have been provided.
Proposed subsidies would be submitted to the provincial government for approval. The names of the operators would be announced for public supervision.
