Minister: China to further develop rural social security framework

BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China will further improve
its rural social security framework, Minister of Civil Affairs Li Xueju said
Wednesday in a report to the eighth session of the 11th National People's
Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for review.

Li said a basic social security framework comprising
the subsistence allowance, cooperative medical care, medical assistance and
disaster relief systems had been set up in China's vast rural areas.

As of the end of last year, the subsistence
allowance, the cooperative medical program (under which rural residents and
governments jointly contribute to a cooperative fund) and medical assistance for
impoverished farmers covered all counties with a rural population, he said.

China had also made much progress in covering rural
migrant workers and farmers with appropriated land with social security, and the
country was exploring the establishment of a rural old-age pension system, he
said.

From 2003 to 2008, central fiscal authorities
allocated 41.6 billion yuan (6.1 billion U.S. dollars) for the rural cooperative
medical care program, 6.66 billion yuan for rural medical assistance and 74.5
billion yuan as living subsidies for farmers affected by natural disasters.

Li said despite these achievements, rural social
security work still faced many problems. He cited unbalanced regional
development, backward system construction and weak management at the grassroots
level.

He vowed to further support rural social security
work in the years to come, increase investment and extend welfare to more
farmers.