Tibet is in its best ever period of development, Qiangba Puncog, government chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said.

Tibet's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2006 was 29.03 billion yuan ($3.78 billion), up 13.2 percent over the previous year, and the per capita GDP exceeded 10,000 yuan ($1,291).

The growth hit a record high in the past decade, and 2006 was the sixth consecutive year that Tibet recorded an economic growth of more than 12 percent, Qiangba said, quoting the figures at the ongoing annual session of the 10th National Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

Many changes have taken place in Tibet's rural and pastoral areas.

A total of 290,000 farmers and herdsmen moved to new houses last year.

Urban per capita disposable income rose to 8,932 yuan ($1,145), an annual increase of 6.2 percent. Rural per capita net income grew by a record 13.1 percent in the past decade to 2,350 yuan ($301).

Tax revenue from the non-public sector of the economy increased 41 percent last year to 975 million yuan ($125 million), accounting for 58 percent of the total tax revenue, the first time the non-public sector contributed more to tax revenue than the public sector.

The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway last July, which closely links the region with other parts of China, and the reopening of border trade at the Nathu La Pass bordering China and India, has helped bloster Tibet's development, Qiangba said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 03/07/2007 page7)