Social participation---village and enterprises develop together
Original, GPIG, 12-08-2017
Social participation is to encourage and guide all levels of administrative units, the eastern provincial cities, military and police forces, and the political groups, federations, all kinds of enterprises and social organizations to take part in poverty alleviation and to carry out various forms of support activities in poor areas. All efforts could strive to focus the support on poor villages and low-income families so as to make sure that the measures are useful and effective. China’s State Council Office for Poverty Alleviation is now building a national platform to share information on poverty alleviation efforts throughout the country and they also encourage local authorities to do the same in accordance with the local situations.
Under the guidance and organization of the government, many private enterprises are involved in poverty alleviation and made great investments to help poor areas to improve their infrastructure conditions and develop modern agriculture. In Shaanxi Province for example, many private enterprises participate in poverty alleviation and development work, which has created a trend and has formed a widespread social concern named the “Fugu phenomenon”. The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development specially held a seminar in Fugu County, Yulin Prefecture, and presented the experiences of private enterprises in poverty alleviation work. By organizing and mobilizing private enterprises to engage in poverty alleviation work, governments have explored a new way and accumulated a lot of new experience in mobilizing and organizing social sectors to participate in poverty alleviation.
The new countryside of Fugu County
Shaanxi is one of the provinces with the highest poverty rate in China. In Shaanxi Province, there still exist large impoverished areas, with a large poor population. According to the new national standard for poverty alleviation, there are 7.75 million people who live in poverty and 50 counties in Shaanxi Province have been identified as key areas for poverty alleviation and development projects.
In early 2010, the provincial government decided to mobilize enterprises above a designated size to support 3,000 to 5,000 poor villages. Through helping these villages in a variety of ways such as providing information, implementing programs, providing access to markets and technology, private enterprises can help to enhance the development potential in low-income villages. They can also develop the natural resources, foster leading industries and create new sources of income. The government aims to help farmers increase their net income by 1,000 yuan on the basis of natural growth and create a framework which allows over 2,600 companies to help 3,000 of the most impoverished villages.
Major types of support provided:
Developing leading industries. Enterprises contribute essential elements for production, such as capital, technology and management to develop local leading industries, the green economy and modern rural service industries so as to increase peasants’income.
Working with village cooperatives. Enterprises and village cooperatives carry out projects together. Villagers are encouraged to participate in the projects by granting the company the right to use land and forest resources and are paid a dividend in return. This is considered a win-win situation for both the enterprises and villagers.
Boosting employment of the villagers. Villagers can work in the enterprises to increase their income. At the same time, companies help self-employed peasants by supporting the development of the local handicraft industry and home-based businesses.
Providing financial support. Enterprises provide short term loans to villagers to help solve problems created by capital shortage.
Shangjiayuan Village and Fengjiayan Village are two villages that have received assistance from Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation.
In 2011, after an extensive investigation, Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation decided to support these two villages. It contributed 100,000 yuan to Shangjiayuan Village to establish chicken farms, as the village has favorable condition for raising poultry. The farms, which are operated by villagers themselves, have produced many green products. The company also contributed 85,000 yuan to Fengjiayan Village to plant jujube trees.
Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation has spent three years on this program. In 2010, it conducted an investigation and decided upon the project. The project began in 2011 and was continued in 2012. The income of the villagers increased steadily during these two years. The poultry farming project and the jujube tree planting project will surely help the local villagers to live a better life.
“One Thousand Enterprises Support One Thousand Villages” program of Shaanxi Province has been highly appreciated by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. Local officials and business owners shared their experience with people of other provinces in some conferences on poverty alleviation. This program is also hailed as “one of the ten bright points of Shaanxi Province’s economic development in 2010” by Shaanxi Daily.
Original, GPIG, 12-08-2017
Social participation is to encourage and guide all levels of administrative units, the eastern provincial cities, military and police forces, and the political groups, federations, all kinds of enterprises and social organizations to take part in poverty alleviation and to carry out various forms of support activities in poor areas. All efforts could strive to focus the support on poor villages and low-income families so as to make sure that the measures are useful and effective. China’s State Council Office for Poverty Alleviation is now building a national platform to share information on poverty alleviation efforts throughout the country and they also encourage local authorities to do the same in accordance with the local situations.
Under the guidance and organization of the government, many private enterprises are involved in poverty alleviation and made great investments to help poor areas to improve their infrastructure conditions and develop modern agriculture. In Shaanxi Province for example, many private enterprises participate in poverty alleviation and development work, which has created a trend and has formed a widespread social concern named the “Fugu phenomenon”. The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development specially held a seminar in Fugu County, Yulin Prefecture, and presented the experiences of private enterprises in poverty alleviation work. By organizing and mobilizing private enterprises to engage in poverty alleviation work, governments have explored a new way and accumulated a lot of new experience in mobilizing and organizing social sectors to participate in poverty alleviation.
The new countryside of Fugu County
Shaanxi is one of the provinces with the highest poverty rate in China. In Shaanxi Province, there still exist large impoverished areas, with a large poor population. According to the new national standard for poverty alleviation, there are 7.75 million people who live in poverty and 50 counties in Shaanxi Province have been identified as key areas for poverty alleviation and development projects.
In early 2010, the provincial government decided to mobilize enterprises above a designated size to support 3,000 to 5,000 poor villages. Through helping these villages in a variety of ways such as providing information, implementing programs, providing access to markets and technology, private enterprises can help to enhance the development potential in low-income villages. They can also develop the natural resources, foster leading industries and create new sources of income. The government aims to help farmers increase their net income by 1,000 yuan on the basis of natural growth and create a framework which allows over 2,600 companies to help 3,000 of the most impoverished villages.
Major types of support provided:
Developing leading industries. Enterprises contribute essential elements for production, such as capital, technology and management to develop local leading industries, the green economy and modern rural service industries so as to increase peasants’income.
Working with village cooperatives. Enterprises and village cooperatives carry out projects together. Villagers are encouraged to participate in the projects by granting the company the right to use land and forest resources and are paid a dividend in return. This is considered a win-win situation for both the enterprises and villagers.
Boosting employment of the villagers. Villagers can work in the enterprises to increase their income. At the same time, companies help self-employed peasants by supporting the development of the local handicraft industry and home-based businesses.
Providing financial support. Enterprises provide short term loans to villagers to help solve problems created by capital shortage.
Shangjiayuan Village and Fengjiayan Village are two villages that have received assistance from Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation.
In 2011, after an extensive investigation, Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation decided to support these two villages. It contributed 100,000 yuan to Shangjiayuan Village to establish chicken farms, as the village has favorable condition for raising poultry. The farms, which are operated by villagers themselves, have produced many green products. The company also contributed 85,000 yuan to Fengjiayan Village to plant jujube trees.
Shaanxi Electric Power Corporation has spent three years on this program. In 2010, it conducted an investigation and decided upon the project. The project began in 2011 and was continued in 2012. The income of the villagers increased steadily during these two years. The poultry farming project and the jujube tree planting project will surely help the local villagers to live a better life.
“One Thousand Enterprises Support One Thousand Villages” program of Shaanxi Province has been highly appreciated by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. Local officials and business owners shared their experience with people of other provinces in some conferences on poverty alleviation. This program is also hailed as “one of the ten bright points of Shaanxi Province’s economic development in 2010” by Shaanxi Daily.
