China to launch work-relief programs for major projects

The State Council has approved a plan to launch work-relief programs for major projects in order to boost employment and increase local incomes, according to a circular released on Tuesday.

All regions and government departments are urged to implement key government-invested projects through work-relief programs as much as possible, to help people work near their homes and increase incomes, according to the plan proposed by the National Development and Reform Commission.

It clarifies work-relief programs in sectors and key projects such as transportation, water conservancy, energy, agriculture and rural areas, urban construction, the ecological environment, and post-disaster restoration and reconstruction.

Development and reform departments, alongside other related government departments, should conduct in-depth research and formulate tasks and guidance catalogs for key projects in various fields where the work-relief programs can be implemented, it said.

Major tasks include formulating an annual list of key work-relief projects, mobilizing local participation mainly in counties, offering training for migrant workers, and paying wages on time and in full, the plan said.

The scale of investment in work-relief programs should be expanded, the plan said, and a set of work-relief programs funded by central budgetary investment should be launched to build support facilities for key projects. The proportion of labor remuneration taken from central government funds should also be increased from over 15 percent to over 30 percent.

Financial institutions are encouraged to step up financing support for work-relief projects in accordance with laws and regulations, and various social forces such as private enterprises and social organizations will be guided to carry out public-interest projects in the form of work-relief programs, the plan said.