Targeted poverty alleviation--- a more effective way
Original, GPIG, 12-06-2017
Targeted poverty alleviation, a significant innovation mechanism in China’s poverty alleviation and development program targets precisely at and focuses on the poor when implementing poverty alleviation and development projects. China will make a unified identification method for poverty alleviation efforts. On the basis of existing work, all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities should ensure that poverty alleviation and development is integrated into the rural social welfare system. Governments of all levels should profile the poor and construct a national information network system for poverty alleviation for each county. During the process, the government should control the scale, define the different levels of responsibility, make precise identification of impoverished families and have a dynamic management approach. Specific measures for poverty alleviation are supposed to be linked to the results of poverty identification. At the same time, the government should do an in-depth analysis of the causes of poverty and create support measures for every family in every village to ensure that the goals of poverty alleviation are achieved within the given time.
Lizhou area is an old revolutionary area located in a mountainous area in the Sichuan basin. It is a destitute area between the Qinling Mountain and Daba Mountain Areas. In 2003, 86% of the areas had reached the comprehensively well-off living standards. However, over 20,000 people lived below the poverty line, which accounted for almost 12% of the local population; this had an adverse effect on the overall well-being of the community.
How can more precise and effective efforts be made to eradicate poverty?
The first step of precise poverty alleviation is to identify the right beneficiaries. Zhao Wenqiao, secretary of the Party committee in Lizhou District said: “We will precisely recognize the low-income families, have a Party cadre to take responsibility, offer support and carry out dynamic management to make sure that income of low-income households increase by 30% every year, and reach 6,000 yuan in 2016. Then, we will be able to eliminate absolute poverty.”
Identifying the real low-income families is the first and most crucial step.
The free-range chickens bred by Su Lianfu, a poor household in Sujia Village of Baolun Town
Songjia Village in Baolun Town chose 45 families and profiled them after 9 group meetings and three general assemblies were held on behalf of the villagers and public notifications were made. This process helped to precisely identify the low-income families by allowing the villagers to participate in the decision making process.
In February 2014, Lizhou District applied strict guidelines to selecting the low-income beneficiaries and by August 2014, there were almost 6,000 families chosen in total after following such steps as selection within groups, making public notifications in the village and follow-up checks by the local government.
Cadres were then appointed to assist these families.
Su Lianfu, a low-income member who has been profiled in Sujia Village of Baolun Town, said：“With help and support, my living standard is improving day by day.” He raised 200 free range chickens by which he can earn more than 10,000 yuan this year. As for poverty alleviation, Su is confident that he can earn more than 15,000 yuan in three years from this project.”
Yin Fujiong, member of the standing committee of the Party committee and chairman of the labor union in this district said, “That confidence comes from real visible achievements of poverty alleviation. Lizhou District based its precise poverty alleviation on an activity named “3,000 cadres take responsibility for raising ten thousand low-income families out of poverty to create a well-off society. The activity lasts for three years and the cadres take full responsibilities until the objectives of poverty elimination are achieved. The cadres help the poor with the coordination and development of industries.”
With the help of the cadres, Yang Yongkun, a low-income member of Chunfeng Village in Longtan Town has raised 60 chickens, has cultivated a field of chillies as large as 1 mu and planted 120 walnut trees. Shao Yinlian, a low-income member of Gongnong Town opened a department store near her house and became a merchant.
Zhang Zikui, also a low-income member in Shuguang Village of Longtan Town in Lizhou District. He is both a trader and a farmer. He said that, “My income from selling vegetables and repairing motorbikes can reach almost 800 yuan per month”.
Zhang Zikui supported his family mainly by working in cities when he was not working on his small field and his family had a hard life. In May 2014, the cadre helped him as per his circumstances and skills to plant vegetables and opened a motorbike repairing store in his village. It is predicted that by 2016, the net income in his family can reach more than 8,600 yuan and he will no longer be in the low-income category.
By having a precise poverty alleviation plan, Lizhou District applied different approaches to help different families in need that enabled them to create wealth themselves, instead of giving them mere financial handouts. Apart from that, Lizhou also allocates 6 million yuan out of the financial capital for support preferred industries; the government allocates a total of 500,000 yuan to a special fund to offer the poor loans at discounted rates to develop industries; they also use 30% of the agricultural special fund and 30% of interest on agricultural financial capital to directly help the poor.
Original, GPIG, 12-06-2017
Targeted poverty alleviation, a significant innovation mechanism in China’s poverty alleviation and development program targets precisely at and focuses on the poor when implementing poverty alleviation and development projects. China will make a unified identification method for poverty alleviation efforts. On the basis of existing work, all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities should ensure that poverty alleviation and development is integrated into the rural social welfare system. Governments of all levels should profile the poor and construct a national information network system for poverty alleviation for each county. During the process, the government should control the scale, define the different levels of responsibility, make precise identification of impoverished families and have a dynamic management approach. Specific measures for poverty alleviation are supposed to be linked to the results of poverty identification. At the same time, the government should do an in-depth analysis of the causes of poverty and create support measures for every family in every village to ensure that the goals of poverty alleviation are achieved within the given time.
Lizhou area is an old revolutionary area located in a mountainous area in the Sichuan basin. It is a destitute area between the Qinling Mountain and Daba Mountain Areas. In 2003, 86% of the areas had reached the comprehensively well-off living standards. However, over 20,000 people lived below the poverty line, which accounted for almost 12% of the local population; this had an adverse effect on the overall well-being of the community.
How can more precise and effective efforts be made to eradicate poverty?
The first step of precise poverty alleviation is to identify the right beneficiaries. Zhao Wenqiao, secretary of the Party committee in Lizhou District said: “We will precisely recognize the low-income families, have a Party cadre to take responsibility, offer support and carry out dynamic management to make sure that income of low-income households increase by 30% every year, and reach 6,000 yuan in 2016. Then, we will be able to eliminate absolute poverty.”
Identifying the real low-income families is the first and most crucial step.
The free-range chickens bred by Su Lianfu, a poor household in Sujia Village of Baolun Town
Songjia Village in Baolun Town chose 45 families and profiled them after 9 group meetings and three general assemblies were held on behalf of the villagers and public notifications were made. This process helped to precisely identify the low-income families by allowing the villagers to participate in the decision making process.
In February 2014, Lizhou District applied strict guidelines to selecting the low-income beneficiaries and by August 2014, there were almost 6,000 families chosen in total after following such steps as selection within groups, making public notifications in the village and follow-up checks by the local government.
Cadres were then appointed to assist these families.
Su Lianfu, a low-income member who has been profiled in Sujia Village of Baolun Town, said：“With help and support, my living standard is improving day by day.” He raised 200 free range chickens by which he can earn more than 10,000 yuan this year. As for poverty alleviation, Su is confident that he can earn more than 15,000 yuan in three years from this project.”
Yin Fujiong, member of the standing committee of the Party committee and chairman of the labor union in this district said, “That confidence comes from real visible achievements of poverty alleviation. Lizhou District based its precise poverty alleviation on an activity named “3,000 cadres take responsibility for raising ten thousand low-income families out of poverty to create a well-off society. The activity lasts for three years and the cadres take full responsibilities until the objectives of poverty elimination are achieved. The cadres help the poor with the coordination and development of industries.”
With the help of the cadres, Yang Yongkun, a low-income member of Chunfeng Village in Longtan Town has raised 60 chickens, has cultivated a field of chillies as large as 1 mu and planted 120 walnut trees. Shao Yinlian, a low-income member of Gongnong Town opened a department store near her house and became a merchant.
Zhang Zikui, also a low-income member in Shuguang Village of Longtan Town in Lizhou District. He is both a trader and a farmer. He said that, “My income from selling vegetables and repairing motorbikes can reach almost 800 yuan per month”.
Zhang Zikui supported his family mainly by working in cities when he was not working on his small field and his family had a hard life. In May 2014, the cadre helped him as per his circumstances and skills to plant vegetables and opened a motorbike repairing store in his village. It is predicted that by 2016, the net income in his family can reach more than 8,600 yuan and he will no longer be in the low-income category.
By having a precise poverty alleviation plan, Lizhou District applied different approaches to help different families in need that enabled them to create wealth themselves, instead of giving them mere financial handouts. Apart from that, Lizhou also allocates 6 million yuan out of the financial capital for support preferred industries; the government allocates a total of 500,000 yuan to a special fund to offer the poor loans at discounted rates to develop industries; they also use 30% of the agricultural special fund and 30% of interest on agricultural financial capital to directly help the poor.
