China's State Council, or the cabinet, on Wednesday held an
executive meeting on expanding a rural subsistence allowances
system that will satisfy the rural poor's minimum requirements for
living.
The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, decided to cover all needy people
in rural areas across the country under the allowance program,
including the aged, the disabled and those who are unable to
work.
Premier Wen promised in the government work report at the annual
parliament session in March to expand the allowance system to all
rural areas this year after experimenting in some places.
Twenty-three provinces have already established the system,
benefiting 15.93 million people, about 70 percent of the total
number of China's rural poor.
Local governments are responsible for the operation of the
allowance program, and the central budget will allocate subsidies
to areas with financial difficulties, according to the meeting.
Establishing this subsistence allowance system is an important
measure to narrow the gap between rural and urban areas and
safeguard social equity, said a document released after the
meeting.
Local governments should strengthen management of the allowance
funds, and be transparent with the operation, the document
said.
China has 23.65 million rural poor, with annual per capita
income lower than 683 yuan (US$87.6), by the end of 2005, 5.62
million less than in 2001, according to data from the State Council
Leading Group of the Office of Poverty Alleviation and
Development.
The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the
Regulations on the Implementation of the Administrative
Reconsideration Law.
China adopted the Administrative Reconsideration Law in 1999,
allowing people to petition to the higher authorities to correct
mistakes of the low ones.
The document said it is necessary to make detailed explanation
on the Administrative Reconsideration Law in order to make it more
feasible, which is conducive to settling administrative disputes
and resolving social conflicts.
The draft will be further revised before promulgated by the
State Council.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2007)