The national minimum living allowance scheme now covers almost
every eligible city dweller and more than 34.5 million rural
residents, a Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) official said
yesterday.
The figures meet the goals set by a State Council circular
issued in July that said the scheme should cover rural areas by the
end of last year, Wang Zhikun, deputy chief of MCA's minimum living
allowance department, said on an online interview on
www.gov.cn.
The rural allowance scheme, however, "still needs further
regulation and improvement which is the focus of our work this
year," he said. Official figures show 21.48 million rural people's
income was less than $85 a year at the end of 2006.
Last year, the central government raised its subsidy for the
system by 51 million yuan ($7.08 million) for cities and 104
million yuan ($14.45 million) for rural areas. Subsidies for urban
recipients, who are suffering the most because of the recent price
hikes, has been raised three times since the later part of last
year.
"Should consumer prices remain high or increase further, the
central government will raise its financial support both for the
urban and rural minimum allowances," Wang said. "Also, it would
request local governments to adjust their standards
accordingly."
"In January, the MCA and the Ministry of Finance have allocated 1.5
billion yuan ($208.46 million) to the rural minimum allowance and
9.12 billion yuan ($1.27 billion) to the urban scheme because of
soaring prices and bad weather."
Subsidies under the system, introduced in cities in 1997 and in
rural areas last year, vary according to the economic status of a
region. But its basic aim is to enable people in the low-income
group in cities and the countryside both to get adequate food and
clothing.
The average allowance last year was 182.4 yuan ($25) per person
per month in cities and 70 yuan in rural areas, says an MCA report,
released last week.
Li said a comprehensive social relief system is already in place
in the country.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2008)
