Poverty Alleviation and Development in Shanxi Province

　　【Overview】  Covering a total area of 153,600 square kilometers, Shanxi Province has 11 prefecture-level cities, 119 counties (cities, districts) and a population of 34.106 million or so. It is one of the key provinces for national poverty alleviation and development and is a famous old revolutionary base province in China. It has 67 poverty-stricken counties, of which 35 are key counties for national poverty alleviation and development and 22 are key counties designed by the provincial government. It has an agricultural population of 23.196 million and 2.867 million rural poor, accounting for 12.4%.

　　In 2009, the rural per capita net income in 57 poverty-stricken counties of Shanxi Province reached 2,713 Yuan, 6.3% up over 2008, and the rural per capita net income in the 35 key counties for national poverty alleviation and development reached 2361 Yuan, 6.9% up over 2008. Through the implementation of the “three-guarantee”-based pro-poor measures, 416,000 people in 57 poor counties were lifted out of poverty. At the end of 2009, the number of the poor living below low-income line was 2.867 million. Due to the home returning of a large number of migrant workers caused by global financial crisis and the impact of serious droughts and snow disasters, the number of the people returning to poverty was 274,000 more than that in 2008. The number of the poor living below the low-income line in key counties for national poverty alleviation and development was 2.205 million and the number of the people falling back to poverty was 204,000 more than that in 2008.

　　【Investment of anti-poverty funds】   In 2009, the provincial, city and county governments invested a total of 527 million of anti-poverty funds, 224 million more than that in 2008, including: provincial anti-poverty funds of 424 million Yuan, city-level anti-poverty funds of 28.7 million Yuan and county-level anti-poverty funds of 73.75 million Yuan, respectively 180 million, 1.52 million and 41.8766 million more than that of 2008.

　　【Entire Village Advancement】  In 2009, in the implementation of the Entire Village Advancement projects, the government took “three-guarantee” villages as the core of the poverty alleviation and development work, and integrated 710 million Yuan of funds to support the Entire Village Advancement projects in 2386 old revolutionary base poor villages by increasing capital investment, implementing local governments’ responsibility, strengthening sectoral cooperation and strengthening the supervision and guidance.

　　【Poverty alleviation by relocation】  In 2009, the poverty alleviation by relocation was launched in 562 villages of 52 counties, involving 40,000 people from 10,000 households. The government arranged funds of 173 million Yuan, averagely 4200 Yuan per person, including: 136 million Yuan for house building of immigrant households and 37.28 million Yuan for infrastructure construction. According to the requirements of “completion in one year, putting into use in two years and mop-up in three years” for the poverty alleviation by relocation in Shanxi, the target of relocation of 40,000 people has been successfully achieved.

　　【Poverty alleviation training】  In 2009, transfer trainings were organized for 60,000 people and 480 million achieved transfer employment. The government continued to participate in the large-scale public welfare activity themed “Ran Plan · Rising Project”, recruited 488 trainees from poor areas, sent them to receive free trainings in Changsha Global Vocational Education Group and recommended jobs for them.

　　【Poverty alleviation by industrialization】 First, guide credit loan to support the industrial development in poverty-stricken areas through providing financial discount. In 2009, the financial sectors invested a total of 464 million Yuan for the national poverty alleviation leading enterprises in Shanxi Province; provincial government provided financial discount of 12 million Yuan for the household loans of 480 million Yuan. Second, continue to promote the improvement of outputs and effectiveness of the industrial development projects in “two districts” (editor's note: the old revolutionary base areas in the northwest and Taihang Mountain areas of Shanxi are called “two district”, which is one of the most important revolutionary bases in the period of Anti-Japanese War and War of Liberation, and one of the largest contiguous impoverished areas in China). All the 402 industrial development projects have been launched, of which 339 projects have been put into production, accounting for 84% of the total; the production capacity of 221 projects reached more than 80%, accounting for 55% of the total projects. A number of leading enterprises of agricultural industrialization in poverty-stricken areas have played an important role in promoting the income growth of the poor and helping them get rich.

　　【Poverty alleviation by education】  5 million Yuan anti-poverty funds were arranged for poverty alleviation by education to support the students from rural poor families who got admitted to colleges and vocational schools, high schools and vocational technical schools to enhance self-development ability by supporting education. In 2009, the government completed the identification of 226 poor college students, 1,450 poor vocational school students and 1,200 poor high school students for the program.

　　【Pilot contiguous development projects】  Supported by the LGOP, Fanzhi County of Xinzhou and Tianzhen County of Datong City were added as new pilot areas for the contiguous development projects in Shanxi Province. A total of five pilot counties were identified for the contiguous development and a total of 314 million Yuan was invested in the project, including: 49.5 million Yuan of anti-poverty funds of central government and provincial government, 127.292 million Yuan from various departments, 97 million Yuan from businesses and 39.797 million Yuan from the masses and labor input. The project areas covered 10 towns, 162 administrative villages (including 121 “three guarantee” poverty-stricken villages) and 76,900 people. The two pilot counties added in 2009 – Fanzhi County and Tianzhen County have completed the project planning and implementing program design and have launched some projects. The new model of poverty alleviation by contiguous development achieved the effective integration of poverty resources of different channels at a higher platform and a larger area and enhanced the level of industrial development, infrastructure and social undertakings in the regions, which are welcomed by the grassroots cadres and poor people.

　　【Social poverty alleviation】 First, adhere to the fixed-point poverty alleviation of organs. The government especially required the work teams at all levels in the 35 key counties for poverty alleviation and development to carry out poverty alleviation work in the “three guarantee” villages. According to the preliminary statistics, the fixed-point poverty alleviation work teams of all levels of government organs provided funds of 680 million Yuan for the poor villages, more than 85% of which was put in or expanded to the entire village advancement. Second, organize “three supports and one assistance” activities. Through cooperating with the provincial personnel department and league committee, dispatch 54 university graduates to work in the poor villages of 15 districts (counties) in Linfen and Lvliang. Third, mobilize social forces to participate in the poverty alleviation. Strive for the support of China Association of Poverty Alleviation and Development, which donated water purification equipment, medical equipment, school clothes and milk powder valued 38.5 million Yuan for the poverty-stricken areas in Shanxi Province; cooperate with China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to donate love packages for the students in the areas hit by Wenchuan Earthquake and totally donated 23 million Yuan for the students; continue to strive for the support of Singapore's aid organization Mercy Corps, which provided 1.6 million Yuan to organize the implementation of Rebuilding of Heshun County Songyan Town Seniors’ Home and the Human and Livestock’s Drinking Water and Water-saving Irrigation Projects of Wangguantun Town, Yanggao County; guide and mobilize enterprises to help poor villages through building partnership. For example, Jinmei Group and Lanhua Group of Jincheng an provided more than 20 million Yuan for the poverty alleviation in poverty-stricken villages; cooperate with Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Peasants and Workers Democratic Party to organize 14 medical experts to provide free medical services for more than 600 people of Qin County, which was welcomed by local poor.

　　【Poverty alleviation with foreign capital】  In 2009, Asian Development Bank Loan Project – Comprehensive Agricultural Development Project in Shanxi river basin passed the formal assessment and completed the relevant negotiation and legal document signing, and made a breakthrough in the preparatory work. The total investment to this project reached 1.56 billion Yuan, including foreign capital of $ 100 million. The project covered 26 counties in five cities and benefited 1.84 million people, including more than 900,000 people of poor counties. The project was officially launched in the first half of 2010.

　　【Poverty alleviation measures】  1．Focus on the entire village advancement of the “three guarantee” poor villages. First, increase capital investment. The provincial government increased anti-poverty funds of 150 million Yuan, raised 80 million Yuan by adjusting fund use structure and allocated 490 million Yuan for the entire village advancement program in 35 key counties for poverty alleviation and development. Second, implement local governments’ responsibility. The provincial poverty alleviation leading group signed “Responsibility Contract” with 35 key counties on completing the entire village advancement projects of “three guarantee” villages and demanded the counties to increase investment and strengthen the integration of resources to complete this task. The 35 national key counties raised a total of 710 million Yuan. Third, establish incentive systems. The provincial poverty alleviation office issued the “Implementation Plan for the Entire Village Advancement Project in ‘Three Guarantee’ Villages from 2009 to 2010”. The counties’ matching funding, resource integration and project progress must be reported monthly and relevant government department will organize inspections and publicity regularly and make assessments at year end. Fourth, strengthen cooperation between departments. Under the guidance and coordination of Deputy Governor Liu Weijia, the provincial government persuaded relevant departments to give priority to the “three guarantee” villages in the arrangements for transportation, water conservancy, new rural construction, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry development, ecological restoration and governance and financial support for agriculture as well as other related projects. In the whole year, the plans for 525 projects involved “three guarantee” villages got government support.

　　2．Vigorously develop poverty alleviation by education. In 2009, Shanxi provincial government provided anti-poverty funds of 5 million Yuan to support the education of the students from rural poor families that got admitted to colleges, high schools and vocational technical schools and determined relevant funding standards, time limits and financing ways for different students. The number of the objects of poverty alleviation by education reached 2876.

　　3．Implement the "five full-coverage" strategic initiatives. The provincial government made the strategic decision of the implementation of "five full-coverage". The main contents: achieve full coverage of cement (asphalt) roads in all administrative villages with certain conditions in the province in two years, full coverage of primary and secondary school rebuilding, full coverage of county, town and village health service systems, especially the village-level clinics, full coverage of radio and television programs in all the villages and full coverage of safe drinking water in rural areas. By the end of 2009, 96% of the administrative villages had access to cement (asphalt) roads; 5.06 million square meters of primary and secondary schools were rebuilt; business rooms were provided for the clinics of 6948 “hollow villages” and 280 million administrative villages were equipped with basic medical equipment; 87.2% of the county and town health agencies reached the relevant standard and 99% of the villages were equipped with clinics; 2586 villages had access to radio and TV programs and the safe drinking water was provided for 2.72 million rural people.

4. Carry out grassroots survey and research. In 2009, the poverty alleviation and development focused on entire village advancement in the “three guarantee” villages, improved the poverty alleviation and development mechanisms, improved the quality and effect of poverty alleviation and development, organized all the cadres and staffs of the poverty alleviation office to carry out grassroots survey and research and give reporting speeches in batches and by stage, and published the excellent reports to guide the grassroots work.

5. Do a good job in poverty alleviation advocacy. First, do a good job in team building. Established Shanxi Radio and Television Provincial Poverty Alleviation Reporter Stations, set up provincial poverty alleviation advocacy center division level and held provincial poverty alleviation advocacy work conference. Second, broaden propaganda channels. Use the advantages of radio, television, Internet, newspapers, etc. to expand the social influence of poverty alleviation and development. In 2009, the provincial Poverty Alleviation Office compiled 21 poverty alleviation briefings, had 83 articles printed in national and provincial media and 190 articles printed in the city and county-level media. Third, highlight theme propaganda. With certain themes, publicize Shanxi’s brilliant achievements in poverty alleviation and development, and the current situation, tasks and policy measures. Successful held the large-scale photo exhibition of poverty alleviation and development during the three decades since reform and opening up; participated in the thematic exhibition to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of founding of New China; based on the activities of learning and practicing the scientific concept of development, organized prize solicitation activities themed “harmonious development based on poverty alleviation” jointly with “Shanxi Daily”, providing public support for poverty alleviation and development.