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NBS: Lowest income growth in H1 for 6 years |
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16:26, August 07, 2009 |
NBS: private enterprises to be included in Chinese residents' income statistics
In the first half of 2009, China's cumulative urban per capita income stood at 9667 yuan, of which 8856 yuan was urban per capita disposable income, an increase of 791 yuan or 9.8 percent year-on-year. This represents a fall in income growth rate of 4.6 percentage points over the same period last year, the lowest recorded in almost 6 years.
In the first half, rural per capita cash income reached 2733 yuan, an increase of 205 yuan or 8.1 percent year-on-year. This represents a fall in income growth rate of 11.7 percentage points over the same period last year, also the lowest recorded in almost 6 years. This indicates that the financial crisis has had a significant impact on the income of rural residents.
An increase in wages is the main source of income growth, particularly for urban residents.
According to Wei Guixiang, director-general of the Department of Urban & Social Economic Survey under the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), urban and rural income growth is mainly attributed to increased policy-related government spending.
In urban areas, income reform measures which were developed between 2006 and 2007 began to be implemented from the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009, giving personnel at many institutions and teachers retroactive pay or increasing their wages, which stimulated rapid income growth related to wages.
In addition, the central government issued regulations to raise retirees' pensions from January 1, 2009, leading to rapid growth in retirement annuity and the pensions of retirees across the county.
Meanwhile, the central government has allocated more funds to transfer payments, expanded the coverage of the social security system and enhanced the coverage and standards of aid offered to the non-income and uninsured population. China's social assistance funds increased 22.5 percent year-on-year.
Zhang Shuying, director-general of the Department of Rural Survey under the NBS, said that thanks to increased spending by the central government and various local governments, the employment situation of local and migrant workers has gradually recovered.
Firstly, the government has intensified the implementation of various policies to strengthen the agricultural industry and benefit farmers, putting them in place ahead of schedule. In the first half, the average amount of four types of grain production subsidies offered to rural residents reached 57 yuan per person, an increase of 18 yuan year-on-year.
Secondly, the coverage of various social security system policies has been further expanded. In 2009, the central government has offered more public funding to rural schools, raised the standards of subsidies allocated to rural students from low-income households, intensified the development of the new rural cooperative medical care program and established and gradually expanded the coverage of the rural basic living allowances system.
Thirdly, retirement annuity, pension, disaster-relief funds and other funds have significantly increased.
By People's Daily Online
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