The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), one of the five "super ministries" approved by the National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament, in March this year, was inaugurated on Sunday.

A total of 24 departments have been approved for establishment under the new ministry.

The new ministry, transformed from the Ministry of Information Industry, will integrate the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)'s functions on industry and trade management, the functions of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense except that on nuclear power management, and the functions of the Ministry of Information Industry and the State Council Informatization Office, according to the NPC's decision.

A state bureau of science, technology and industry for national defence will be formed under the new ministry. The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration will merged into the new ministry.

The Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, the Ministry of Information Industry and the State Council Informatization Office will be dissolved.

Li Yizhong, former head of the State Administration of Work Safety acted as the minister of the newly-organized MIIT.

A government reshuffle plan was approved at a plenary meeting this March, which aims to explore a "super ministry" system to streamline government department functions, and to form some "bigger departments" to strengthen macro-economic regulation, maintain national security of energy supply, integrate information development and industrialization.

Besides MIIT, other four "super ministries" involving the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Ministry of Transport have been inaugurated. The framework of a ministerial-level energy commission were already announced.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2008)