Premier Minister Li Keqiang presented government’s eight- task vision at the opening of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Saturday.
The global economy is not yet at its best but the People’s Republic of China hopes to stay afloat and create more than ten million new urban jobs for her numerous jobless citizens this year. Presenting government’s 2016 vision during the opening ceremony of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Saturday March 5, 2016, Premier Li Keqiang said these unfavourable global economic challenges notwithstanding, China has to forge ahead.
“China has from the start been developing while responding to challenges; there is no difficulty we cannot go beyond, he said.” Unveiling government’s eight-task vision for the over 3,000 Peoples’ Representatives, the Premier disclosed that the main development targets for China in 2016 will be the creation of over ten million new urban jobs, keep urban unemployment rate within 4.5 per cent, take the country’s Gross Domestic Product from 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent as well as increase the volume of its exports and imports.
Development of Infrastructure
The Prime Minister announced that in the ongoing fiscal year, the development of rural infrastructure will be stepped up. “An additional 200,000 km of rural roads will be built or upgraded. In towns, townships and incorporated villages where conditions allow, efforts should be stepped up to build paved roads and provide access to bus services,” Mr Li said. Target is that government helps more than ten million rural residents lift themselves out of poverty; including two million poor residents who are earmarked to be relocated from inhospitable areas.
Affordable Health Care
Premier Li Keqiang told the huge audience at the Great Hall of the People in the capital, Beijing that “health is at the root of happiness.” The government, he disclosed, therefore aims to realise full coverage of the serious disease insurance scheme and increase its subvention for it so as to minimise the burden on people suffering under the weight of such diseases. “The central government will allocate 16 billion Yuan to be used both in urban and rural areas for medical assistance and subsidies,” he added. These among others will be to attain the goal of turning China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious.
Deliberations are therefore continuing for the National People’s Congress and the fourth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) that began earlier on March 3.
