Five local governments in China on Thursday announced a departure tax refund project in a bid to spur inbound trips and boost exports of China-made commodities, according to a statement on the website of the Ministry of Finance.
Effective Friday, foreign tourists can get refunds of value-added tax for products bought in designated stores in the country, the statement said.
East China's Jiangsu Province, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province and Shenzhen city in South China's Guangdong Province are participating.
Early in January 2011, South China's Hainan Province was designated as a pilot province to implement the offshore duty-free policy, according to domestic news portal china.com.cn.