New Year’s shopping season will be the worst since early 1990s merchants say. Because consumers don’t like to buy lump sum of food or new garments and clothing for themselves.

The 2009 budget estimates were calculated on the basis of the global price of copper being stable around an average US$3,400 a ton. In fact, it has now fallen to US$ 2,800, leading to worries that the deficit will increase for not only 2009 but for this year’s budget too.

Widespread fall in consumer spending has led to traders making fewer trips to Erlian to buy Chinese goods. This has meant huge losses for the railway.

Following the Government meeting on December 24 approving the new structure of government, there will now be 42 agencies, 5 of them new. The new ones are the National Development and Reforms Agency, the Agency for Atomic Energy, the Agency for Forests, the Committee on Culture and Art, and the Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises.

The General Election Committee meeting to discuss the results of the Parliamentary election at the 25th constituency, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, did not take place even until 9 p.m. because of an absence of quorum.