North Korea’s Cabinet recently held an enlarged plenary meeting to discuss steps towards “urgently restoring the state commerce system and socialist commerce,” state media reported over the weekend, in an apparent bid to strengthen the central government’s control over the country’s planned economy.

The Minju Choson, the official newspaper of the DPRK government, reported Saturday that the Cabinet had held its first meeting of the year, aimed at discussing tasks related to the new “frontal breakthrough” line set forth at a recent ruling party plenum in December.

Premier Kim Jae Ryong led the meeting, at which economic cadres of