China' s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) announced on Sunday that 18 more state-funded publishing houses finished the procedure to make the transition from being public institutions to becoming enterprises.

The move came amid a reform to convert 148 publishing houses run by various government agencies to compete as market players. Previously, six publishers had completed this business shift, and those remaining had come close to the end of the procedure, according to a circular issued by GAPP.

Zhang Mengxin, president of China Labor and Social Security Publishing House, said, only when publishing houses became enterprises, could they fully participate in market competition, and incorporating was the sure way towards greater development of the industry.

The central government now offers tax incentives to these publishing houses, according to the circular. Jiao Xiangying, president of Kaiming Press, said the policy had helped to clear away obstacles in the reform process.

These publishing houses include China Pictorial Publishing House, China Building Material Industry Publishing House, China Labor and Social Security Publishing House, Kaiming Press and other publishing houses run by government agencies such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Justice, the National Tourism Administration and others.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2010)