The Provincial Development and Reform Work Conference was held in Xi鈥檃n

Author: Su Hui

Zhao Zhengyong: To Unify the Thoughts and Take Collaborative Efforts to Realize the Goal of Economic Growth by 13% in the Coming Year

From:Shaanxi Gov

The provincial Development and Reform Work Conference was held in Xi’an from December 28 to 29. The conference delivered the main spirit of the national Development and Reform Work Conference and the Third Session of the 11th CCP Shaanxi Committee Congress, reviewed the work in 2008, and made arrangement for the work in the next year. Executive Vice Governor and member of the CCP Shaanxi Standing Committee Zhao Zhengyong made an important speech at the conference. He stressed that the province should unify the thoughts, make clear the goal, take great efforts in expanding the domestic demand, adjusting the structure, deepening the reform, focusing on the livelihood, and do everything needed to promote the economic growth and make sure to realize the goal of economic growth by 13%.

Zhao Zhengyong said that in 2008, faced with complicated international economic environment, unexpected natural disasters and new problems emerging during the economic operation, under the leadership of the Central CCP Committee and the State Council, the provincial CCP Committee and the government led the people of the whole province to take positive measures, overcome difficulties to achieve the great success of earthquake relief and keep a positive trend of the economy’s stable and fast growth. The gross product in 2008 is supposed to reach 680 billion yuan, representing a growth of 15% than the last year. The financial revenue reaches more than 100 billion yuan, representing a growth of 23% than the last year. The income of both rural and urban residents grows by 17% than the last year. The grain production reaches 11.509 million tons. The total retail sales of consumer goods reach 225 billion yuan, representing a growth of 25% than the last year. In terms of the energy-saving and emission reduction, the energy consumption per unit of output value decreases by 4.3%, the price has been kept on falling for seven months. The provincial consumer price standard from January to November has risen by 6.8%.

Zhao Zhengyong pointed out that 2009 is an important year to fulfill the goal of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, to fight against the international economic crisis and to keep a stable and rapid economic growth. It is of the utmost importance to carry out the next year’s economic work. It is decided on the 3rd Session of the 11th CCP Shaanxi Committee Congress that the goal of the next year’s economic growth is 13%, which is essential to the stable and rapid economic and social development. This is also a positive goal to help us to get over the hardship.

Zhao Zhengyong stressed that to fulfill the goal of economic growth by 13%, it is necessary to focus on the following issues. Firstly, it is necessary to make sure of the rapid growth of investment. Investment is always the main drive for the economic growth in Shaanxi province. Investment plays an important part in fighting against the economic crisis. One of the priorities is the project construction. Infrastructure construction, advantageous industries, livelihood projects, agriculture-countryside-peasant, ecological environment, energy-saving and emission reduction, as well as service are all key fields. It is important to carry out a series of important projects with strong driving functions and rapid effects, as well as the work of financing and the supervision on project fund. Secondly, it is necessary to positively expand the consumption. Consumption is the final demand, as well as the lasting drive for economic growth. In 2009, the province will take great efforts to expand the consumption, and to increase the income of residents, especially the income of farmers and low-income group in both urban and rural areas. At the same time, the province will develop new consumption hot point, expand the consumption space, make specific policies to encourage the consumption, further optimize the consuming environment, manage the market order, improve the consuming environment and secure the residents’ consumption safety. Thirdly, it is necessary to deepen the industrial restructuring. In 2009, the province will focus on the industrial development, the technical improvement and self innovation capability of the enterprises. Meanwhile, the province will also focus on the development of advantageous service industries such as culture, tourism and logistics. Fourthly, it is necessary to develop the economy at the county level. In recent years, the development of county-level economy in our province has been experiencing a rapid trend. However, most counties are weak or poor. To strengthen the county-level economy, it is necessary to take effective measures and to focus on the industrialized operation of agriculture, the construction of small towns and the strategy of ‘Strengthening the County by Industries’. Fifthly, it is necessary to strengthen the energy-saving and emission reduction. It will be a tough task for the province to fulfill the 11th Five-Year goal of emission reduction. Thus, it is necessary to abandon the outdated production capacity, strictly control the new ‘Two High’ projects, focus on key industries and fields, implement the responsibility level by level, strictly put into practice the rewarding and punishing system, and take great efforts to carry out the energy-saving and emission reduction as well as the ecological environment building. At the same time, the province will also strengthen the management of key regions such as Qi-Ling, Wei He, Handan River and Northern Shaanxi Energy and Chemical Industry Base.

Zhao Zhengyong finally stressed to focus on the reform in key fields, to positively implement 8 major livelihood projects, and to keep on promoting the development of out-going economy. Zhao Zhengyong also put forward clear requirements regarding the self-building of the provincial development and reform system. The director of provincial Development and Reform Commission also delivered a work report at the conference.