THE government plans to introduce policies to boost domestic spending on items such as autos and home appliances this year, CCTV quoted a senior planning official as saying Tuesday.

Ning Jizhe, vice chairman of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said in an interview with CCTV that the policies will be part of wider efforts to strengthen domestic consumption in China, the world’s second-largest economy.

The country’s top economic planner will also introduce policies in house leasing and services, as well as elderly and child care, with plans to also lower investment barriers in other sectors such as culture and sports.

China, the world’s biggest car market, expects to sell 28 million vehicles in 2019, roughly level with 2018, the Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in December.

China imported about 1.03 million cars last year, down 6.8 percent from a year earlier, latest figures from the association showed.(SD-Agencies)