Hebei launches whistleblower reward scheme targeting illegal steel capacity additions

Hebei province, China’s largest steel-producing hub, has recently issued interim rules offering rewards for reporting illegally added steelmaking capacity, in a move aimed at strengthening oversight of unauthorized capacity expansion and cracking down on related violations by local steelmakers, according to a release jointly issued by the Hebei Development and Reform Commission and several other provincial departments.

Under the scheme, provincial authorities in Hebei will receive reports of illegal steel capacity additions from whistleblowers and forward the cases to local governments, which will take primary responsibility for investigations, enforcement actions, and reward administration within their jurisdictions, the release explained. The policy targets three main types of violations