国内英语资讯:China to improve peoples livelihood with intensified efforts_时事

国内英语资讯:China to improve peoples livelihood with intensified efforts

In the coming months, local governments and power grid companies need to redouble efforts to ensure that all the upgrading tasks specified in the 13th Five-Year Plan will be completed one year ahead of schedule. The time for enterprises to get electricity will be further shortened to improve the business environment.

This year, relevant investment under the central budget will be used entirely for power grid upgrading in poor areas and the proportion of central funding will be raised. Rural power supply monitoring and evaluation systems will be set up and power connection for pumping wells will be included in daily services provided by power grid companies, so as to deliver better power services in rural areas.

"China has seen fast progress in power supply since reform and opening up. Yet the time needed for getting electricity and the accessibility still fall short of expectations, due to both institutional issues and inefficiency in the power system," Li said, "Power supply is critical to industrialization and rural modernization."

It was also decided at the meeting to step up the implementation of rural water supply projects and fully resolve, by 2020, drinking water issues affecting 60 million rural population such as water undersupply and higher-than-recommended level of fluoride.

Sound mechanisms for water pricing and fee collection will be set up. Private capital will be attracted, through public-private partnership and other forms, for the construction and operation of water supply facilities. Central and local governments will provide fiscal support for safe drinking water projects in poor areas in the central and western regions.