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Hubei reports reduction in poverty
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-02-17 19:32 Poverty is declining in Central China's Hubei
Province as a result of effective poverty-relief projects over the past five
years.
The population of "extremely poor" people in the province has dropped to
900,000 from 2.2 million during the country's Five-Year-Plan period (2001-2005).
Xu Yefu, an official with the poverty-relief office, said the average annual
income of farmers in 29 major counties across the province increased from 1,505
to 1800 yuan (188 to 225 U.S. dollars).
During the 11th Five Year Program period (2006-2010), the province is to make
further poverty-relief efforts to help the remaining 900,000 extremely poor
people and another 3.4 million poverty-stricken people with an average annual
income of under 625 yuan (about 78 dollars) per person.
Meanwhile, Hubei's authorities will improve road construction, water and
electricity supply, compulsory education, medical services and telecommunication
systems in some 6,425 villages.
The Chinese government has set major poverty reduction objectives for the
2006-2010 period, including more efforts to help the poor in the countryside
obtain sufficient food and clothing.
A total of 7.4 billion yuan (913 million dollars) will be spent on this
purpose in the central and western parts of the country.
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