BEIJING -- Anti-poverty work will continue its momentum in Tibet to ensure the autonomous region does not fall behind in the national endeavor of building a "moderately prosperous society" by 2020, a regional official said.

By the end of 2016, Tibet had 442,000 people living below the poverty line, and the poverty rate was higher than the national average. The total population in the region is about 3.2 million.

"Poverty remains a deep-seated problem in at least 33 counties in Tibet," said Norbu Dondrup, vice chairman of the regional government, while answering questions from reporters Thursday on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The government will make differentiated poverty-relief policies that suit every county and every household. Funds and poverty-relief programs will be applied to the poorest counties.

More people will move from harsh environments to cities and areas with better infrastructure, he said.

The government will help herders and farmers develop industries. Children of poor families will receive free college education, and the government will help young graduates from poor families find jobs and start businesses so they can better support their family, Norbu Dondrup said.

The region will coordinate economic development with environmental protection. It will create more jobs at national parks and develop tourism. Living conditions for border residents will be improved, he said.

Officials tasked with poverty relief work will be subject to real-time appraisal from their superiors, and those who slack or fail will be punished, he added.