Poverty Alleviation and Development in Tibet Autonomous Region

　　【Investment of anti-poverty funds】 In 2010, a total of 815.53 million Yuan of anti-poverty funds was invested in Tibet Autonomous Region, of which: 722.38 million Yuan was financial anti-poverty funds from the central government (including development funds of 532.13 million Yuan, work-relief funds of 80 million Yuan, minority development funds of 108.75 million Yuan and special funds of 1.5 million Yuan for poverty alleviation by science and technology), 8.15 million Yuan was project management fee, 60 million Yuan was matching funds of Tibet and 25 million Yuan was for labor transfer and featured industrial projects (including 5 million Yuan of funds not scheduled in 2009). Tibet Poverty Alleviation Office actually allocated 598.63 million Yuan of poverty alleviation and development funds, of which: 512.13 million Yuan was central financial anti-poverty funds, 60 million Yuan was Tibetan matching funds, 25 million Yuan was special funds for the development of featured building material industries in Tibet and 1.5 million Yuan was project funds for poverty alleviation by science and technology.

　　Poverty relief funds were mainly issued to low-income masses. Adhering to the principle of examination and approval level by level for poverty alleviation and development projects, the government strictly complied with the technical standard to maximize investment returns and directly benefit the poor to the largest extent and implemented more than ten types of anti-poverty funds, including entire town advancement, housing projects for poor households, etc.

　　In 2010, Tibet implemented 133 entire town advancement projects in 31 towns with investment of 67.2 million Yuan and integrated department funds of 350 million Yuan.

　　In 2010, the government arranged financial anti-poverty funds of 100 million Yuan and completed the housing projects for 16,628 poor households and relocation of the masses suffering from endemic diseases.

　　Meanwhile, Tibet implemented the fourth batch of 493 poverty relief projects and issued financial anti-poverty funds of 255.47 million Yuan. The anti-poverty funds from both central government and Tibetan government were issued on schedule and all the projects were launched within the year.

　　【Pilot projects of mutual funds】 According to the overall requirements of LGOP, based on the opinions of Tibetan Department of Finance and relevant city governments, Tibet decided to implement pilot projects of mutual funds in 45 villages of 4 counties, namely Rikaze, Shannan, Changdu and Ali with total investment of 7.2276 million Yuan, including 6.75 million Yuan of state mutual funds and 477,600 Yuan raised by the masses.

　　【Planning for pilot projects of contiguous development was approved】In accordance with the requirements of relevant notice issued by LGOP, based on the negotiation with relevant local government and financial departments, Tibet developed the planning for pilot work of “contiguous development” for the period from 2010 to 2012 in five counties, namely Nimu County of Lasa, Dingri County of Rigaze, Cuona County of Shannan, Zuogong County of Changdu and Linzhi County of Linzhi, and was approved by LGOP. In 2010, it arranged 21 poverty alleviation and development projects in the five counties and invested 5 million Yuan of anti-poverty funds for each county averagely.

　　【Labor force transfer】 Adhering to the principle of "consolidation, expansion and improvement", the Tibet Autonomous Region allocated 20 million Yuan of special funds for the labor transfer project of LGOP and arranged 38 projects. The funds were all issued to project areas in June 2010. Meanwhile, the labor transfer project funds of 5 million Yuan that were not arranged in 2009 were also issued this time. In June 2010, the on-site meeting on featured industries of Tibet Autonomous Region was convened in Zedang Town of Shannan to summarize the development situation of labor transfer industry of Tibet based on development of featured building materials. The conference showed the typical experience of Shannan Region, praised 14 professional cooperative organizations including Shannan Dixin Gravel Factory and made arrangements for the development of labor transfer industry in the new era.

　　【Transformation of overhead cables】  In 2010, LGOP and the Ministry of Finance issued 120 million Yuan of special funds for the transformation projects of overhead cables in Tibet Autonomous Region. As of the end of 2010, the transformation projects for two batches of 45 overhead cables were arranged and the investment amounted to 158.9702 million Yuan, 38.9702 million Yuan more than the scheduled figure.

　　【Poverty alleviation by science and technology】 According to the "Guideline for Project Application for Poverty Alleviation by Science and Technology" issued by the State Council in 2010, the Tibet Autonomous Region applied for three projects for poverty alleviation by science and technology to LGOP. The yak seed propagation project of Gongka County of Mozhu was approved by LGOP and got project funds of 1.5 million Yuan.

　　【Poverty alleviation training】 In 2010, Tibet arranged poverty relief training funds of 7.7588 million Yuan (including 5 million Yuan of central government’s poverty relief funds and 2.7588 million Yuan of matching funds from Tibet) and organized trainings for 15,000 poor farmers and herdsmen, including 10,200 people receiving poor labor transfer trainings and 4,800 people receiving practical technical trainings.

　　【Fixed-point poverty alleviation】 In 2010, the units designated for fixed-point poverty alleviation directly under Tibetan and central government timely adjusted and dispatched cadres for the fixed-point poverty alleviation. According to statistics, Tibet arranged a total of 249 people to work in the contact points for poverty reduction, implemented 604 anti-poverty projects, invested 300 million Yuan and donated 18 million Yuan in kind and cash.

　　【Field research for poverty alleviation】In September 2010, together with LGOP Director-General Fan Xiaojian, Tibet conducted field research in Motuo County of Linzhi for poverty alleviation. Meanwhile, Tibet organized random checks on the poverty alleviation and development projects and featured industrial projects launched in 2009 with investment of more than 500,000 Yuan, the third round of entire town advancement projects (2007-2009) and the pilot projects of “county-based entire village advancement and contiguous development through integrating funds” launched in 2009.

　　【Pilot projects of the effective convergence of two systems】 In March 2010, pilot projects of the effective convergence of two systems were launched in seven counties of Tibet, namely Nimu County of Lasa, Cuona county of Shannan, Xitongmen County of Rigaze, Gongbujiangda County of Linzhi, Changdu County of Changdu Region, Nierong County of Naqu and Pulan County of Ali. After summarizing the experience of pilot projects, approved by Tibetan Leading Group for the effective convergence of two systems, in August 2010, the autonomous region comprehensive launched the projects of effective convergence of two systems in the remaining 67 counties (cities, districts). As of the end of 2010, Tibet basically completed the work of effective convergence of two systems.

　　【Poverty reduction program】 At the end of 2009, Tibet Poverty Alleviation Office began to prepare for the development of the “Planning for Poverty Alleviation and Development of Tibet Autonomous Region in the ‘12th Five-Year Plan’ Period”. In 2010, the planning preparation personnel carried out in-depth field research in poverty-stricken areas to collect first-hand data and, through brainstorming, improved the content of the plan. By the end of 2010, they completed the development of the “Planning for Poverty Alleviation and Development of Tibet Autonomous Region in the ‘12th Five-Year Plan’ Period”. Targeting at 502,000 people in farming and stockbreeding areas, based on the actual situation of impoverished areas and poor people, the planning applied for government investment of 4 billion Yuan and arranged six types of projects, namely poverty alleviation by entire town advancement, housing project for poor households, poverty reduction by industrial development, capacity-building project, large-scale poverty alleviation and development, and poverty reduction for people with special difficulties.

　　【Pro-poor measures】 1. Strengthen leadership and publicity and improve the level of development. Leaders at all levels attached great importance and actively cooperated with relevant departments, forming joint force for poverty alleviation and development and creating conditions for overcoming various difficulties and completing the task on schedule. First, based on learning and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Forum on Work in Tibet, the 5th Plenary Session of the 17th Party Committee and the "Guidance on Further Promoting the Poverty Alleviation and Development in Tibet" issued by LGOP, poverty alleviation cadres made publicity for pro-poor policies and the remarkable achievements of development to mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses in project areas and encourage the poor to actively participate in the development, laying a solid foundation for the development work. Secondly, clarify duties and implement projects by division of labor and responsibility. In accordance with the guiding line of "making up for whatever in shortage", Tibet allocated the limited anti-poverty funds to urgent projects for the poor and carefully organized the project implementation in strict accordance with the annual plan. The party committees and government of project areas all included poverty reduction in the agenda for rural work. Main leaders personally took a hand in and department heads gave instructions on site. Thirdly, develop overall planning, make early preparations and mobilize the masses to put in funds and labor service. The project areas mobilized the masses in many forms to jointly promote the development. Various counties all included poverty alleviation and development planning into local economic and social development programs for overall arrangements and progress; Fourthly, relevant department closely cooperate with each other to jointly promote the development. Especially in the effective convergence of "two systems", under the unified coordination of the leading group, the member units assume their responsibilities to promote the development work, which was an important guarantee for the convergence of "two systems". In addition, they actively reported to and coordinated with higher authorities and financial departments for more anti-poverty funds and greater support.

2. Make careful preparations for project construction and continuously improve the development standards. Tibet has a large number of poor people scattered everywhere, showing a feature of "large dispersion of small groups". In order to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the project, since April, the Poverty Alleviation Office of Tibet Autonomous Region has sent more than 30 working groups to carry out field research in more than 200 project sites of over 60 counties in 7 prefectures (cities) to learn the situation of project implementation and allocation of project funds and seek public opinions. In 2010, the Poverty Alleviation Office of Tibet Autonomous Region approved a total of 777 poverty alleviation projects, which benefited 203,000 people, both up 59.8 % over 2009. In October every year, moreover, it issues a written notice on the guiding line, basic principle, key points of project, targets and specific requirements for the prophase work of the next year. While making preparations for project selection, declaration and implementation, relevant departments must highlight the projects with less investment and better effectiveness and take into consideration both entire town advancement projects and large-scale poverty relief projects for registered poor people; both objects of poverty reduction and low-income people, and both the concentrated poor and the scattered poor.

3. Target at the real poor and provide household support to make people increase income in the process of project construction participation. Targeting at the poor with data record, the government actively supported needy families and implemented family-based production, labor transfer and skills training projects according to the principle of making up for whatever in shortage. Based on the actual situation of farmers and herdsmen, we arranged some projects to be implemented by the masses in project areas and actively guided farmers and herdsmen to participate in project construction to increase income. According to incomplete statistics, the project construction provided economic benefits of more than 30 million Yuan for 100,000 farmers and herdsmen, averagely more than 450 Yuan per person.

4. Increase efforts on improving production and living conditions. Through implementation of poverty alleviation and development projects, in 2010, Tibet improved low-yield farmland of 28,400 mu in project area; improved naive pasture, grassland enclosure and artificial grassland of 253,900 mu; newly built 105 channels of 310 kilometers, 33 ponds of 989,200 cubic meters, improved and expanded farmland and grassland irrigation area of 187,100 mu; and built 47 rural roads of 350.16 kilometers and 197 bridges of 1,549 meters. The infrastructure construction projects benefited 83,565 households and 411,011 people. Through husbandry infrastructure construction, it improved poor areas’ husbandry capacity and capacity to combat natural disasters, increased the outputs of grain, oil, meat and dairy products and significantly improved the living standards of poor people; and through housing project construction, it improved the living conditions of 16,628 poor households.