<!--[endif]-->State and Ministerial Policy News:

Premier Li Keqiang chaired an executive meeting of the State Council, which resolved to increase national student loans, so as to create a fair environment for students from low income families. It was pointed out that according to the arrangements of the State Council, government should improve policies of national student loans and provide greater support for college students from low income families to help them accomplish their studies. Such arrangements could enhance education equality, provide poor students with fair chances to receive education and more accesses to get self-improvement, and foster more talents for China.

Source: people.com.cn Jul. 9, 2015

Local Poverty Alleviation News:

Chongqing Municipality plans to invest 9.35 billion yuan in forestry construction in 18 poverty-stricken districts and counties in three years for ecological protection and poverty alleviation through development. It is reported that from this year on, Chongqing Municipality will allocate 50 million yuan each year on developing forestry industry with local characteristics, establish a series of demonstration bases of woody oil industry, under-forest economy and economic forestry with local characteristics, and ensure that more than 65% of the assistance funds for characteristic forestry industry goes to poverty-stricken areas and countries.

Source: news.xinhuanet.com Jul. 6, 2015

Nearly 80,000 people were lifted out of poverty in Sichuan Province after the launching of Six Livelihood Projects in Sichuan Tibetan-inhabited areas. In 2014, Sichuan Province introduced a new assessment mechanism for poverty reduction, and made it clear that GDP would no longer be the assessment index in 58 key ecological districts and counties including 32 Tibetan-inhabited counties in western Sichuan Plateau. Great efforts have been made to advance poverty reduction to promote farmers’ income growth, bringing real benefits to people’s well-being. Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Sichuan Province has lifted nearly 80,000 people in Tibetan-inhabited areas out of poverty. Its goal this year is to free 59,000 people from the shackle of poverty.

Source: sohu.com Jul. 6, 2015

Heilongjiang Province invested 1.88 billion yuan to update education facilities in poverty-stricken areas. According to statistics, in 2015, Heilongjiang Province will build schoolhouses of 950,000 square meters, purchase 133,000 sets of school desks and chairs, 23,000 student beds, 2.36 million books and 22,000 computers.

Source: Heilongjiang Daily Jul. 6, 2015

Bank of Shanghai donated 3.5 million yuan to Shanghai Children's Hospitalization Mutual Assistance Fund. A part of the donation will be used as supplementary medical aid for extremely poor teenagers suffering from major diseases so as to expand the coverage of the Fund. Another part of the donation will be used for optimizing the information-based management system of the Fund.

Source: Shanghai Financial News Jul. 4, 2015

The 2015 financing program for college students from low income families sponsored by lottery welfare fund was launched in Shaanxi Province. It is reported that this year, Shaanxi Province will use provincial-level lottery welfare fund worth 20 million yuan to support 3,300 college students from urban and rural low income families and some disabled students. The scope of financing will expand from urban poor families to low-income families in both urban and rural areas. The financing activities will offer favorable support to old revolutionary base areas and poverty-stricken areas.

Source: Shaanxi Daily Jul. 4, 2015

State Grid Corporation of China invested 78.8 billion yuan to ensure that electricity is accessible to each household. Since 2006, State Grid Corporation of China has provided 1.491 million households and 5.719 million people in poverty stricken areas with accesses to electricity, contributing greatly to the building of a moderately prosperous society in poverty-stricken areas.

                         Source: Economic Information Daily Jul. 6, 2015

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Sponsor: International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC)

Organizer: Poverty Reduction Research Center, Beijing Normal University, China

Contact: Han Mengzhen 84419871     Yu Man 84419861

Email: hanmengzhen@iprcc.org.cn    yuman@iprcc.org.cn