China to help 148,000 villages out of poverty in 5 years
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-18 10:12
China plans to help 148,000 villages out of poverty over the next five years,
said Liu Jian, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty
Alleviation and Development efforts.
Addressing the Poverty Reduction Seminar for Developing Countries at
Ministerial Level, Liu said the Chinese government will strengthen
infrastructure and social services - and increase villager income - in the
nation's poorest villages, where 80 percent of the poor population live.
According to statistics, 2.365 million people in China still don't have
enough food and clothing. And 4.067 million people do not have regular supplies
of food and clothing.
The Chinese government will also train laborers in poor areas and promote
non-farming employment, Liu said.
Ten percent of the Government's Favor Project financial poverty reduction
fund will be used for training, with the goal of developing a laborer from each
household.
The government will also encourage flagship enterprises to promote reform of
agricultural structures in poor areas and increase farmers' income, Liu said.
And 260 poverty reduction flagship enterprises identified by the State
Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development will help 12
million poor people.
Liu stressed the Chinese government will continue to make poverty reduction a
priority, develop policies for needy people, call on society as a whole to
contribute to poverty reduction and promote balanced development of impoverished
areas between natural and human resources.
The seminar, hosted by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty
Alleviation and Development and the Ministry of Commerce, attracted 20
government officials from poverty reduction departments in 16 countries, as well
as officials from the Chinese government, the UN organizations and foreign
embassies to China.
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