The Chinese government has doubled the quota for subsidized energy-efficient light bulbs this year, stepping up efforts to save energy and reduce pollution.

The government would subsidize 100 million energy-efficient light bulbs this year, compared to 50 million last year, said a statement published on the Ministry of Finance (MOF) website on Tuesday.

The move also aimed to cushion the impact of the global financial crisis on light bulb producers and promote the use of energy-saving lamps, the statement said.

The central government offers a 30-percent subsidy on wholesale purchases and a 50-percent subsidy on retail sales. Some local governments also offered subsidies up to 40 percent.

By the end of January, 62 million energy-saving light bulbs had been sold under the subsidy program, which was launched in April last year.

Those 62 million bulbs can help save 3.2 billion kwh of electricity annually and cut discharges of carbon dioxide by 3.2 million tonnes and sulfur dioxide by 32,000 tonnes, the statement said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2009)