Haimen puts people first

City prioritizes residents’ welfare, environment and economy for a better future, Li Fusheng and Zhu Xudong report.

Jiang Long, a top political leader in Haimen, Jiangsu province, believes people’s livelihoods is a top priority on the government’s agenda.

“We must attach the same importance to people’s livelihoods as we attach to economic development. We must set goals about people’s welfare and endeavor to realize them as we do to boost economic growth. We must enhance our people’s happiness and improve their satisfaction with life,” said Jiang at the county-level city’s plenary meeting at the start of this year.

The city released a plan dedicated to improving people’s lives. With an investment of 5 billion yuan ($810 million), it is designed to cover 10 areas that most concern people, including job opportunities, social security, medical care and environmental protection.

Local officials said the plan accounts for some 65 percent of the budget earmarked for public service.

Cranes at a harbor in Haimen. Local authorities are attaching importance to improving people’s satisfaction with their lives while valuing economic growth. [PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY]

Since March, the government has put in place a series of measures. Among others, it allocated 20 million yuan for bus companies to cut fares and offer free rides for senior citizens.

It offers awards and insurance to those who have done heroic acts and has raised its subsidies to 480 yuan per person for those enrolled in the rural medical care program.

Such programs have improved local people’s attitude toward the government and the city. Haimen was ranked top of the newly released list of civilized cities in Jiangsu province.

The city is working hard to boost economic growth to lay a solid foundation for a more financially stable life for its people. In recent years, the Haimen government has integrated itself into the core Yangtze River Delta region and several industrial zones have taken shape.

Since 2014, a series of offshore industrial clusters have been gaining momentum. Focusing on low-carbon, energy-saving and smart industries, they are driving forward the city’s growth.

Haimen is now home to six provincial industrial parks, with 180 billion yuan in combined output value and 62 billion yuan in combined tax revenue in 2014.

The city is offering a hand to small and medium-sized companies. It established a fund five years ago to tide them over during periods of financial difficulties.

The fund has lent more than 4.2 billion yuan to some 300 local companies. Among the beneficiaries is Zhanyang Textile. The company found itself in difficulty when its loans were due in May. Without the fund, which lent the company 200 million yuan, things could have turned out ugly, said the company’s president Yang Liu.

The Haimen government is beefing up its poverty-relief efforts. It helped lift more than 5,000 residents out of poverty by the first half of this year.

One example is the cooperative agricultural park in Yuelai township. Funded by the government and enterprises, poor farmers can receive seeds and chemical fertilizers free of charge.

Statistics show that 25 households that received assistance now have annual incomes of 10,000 yuan each year. The township government has offered 2,000 lambs to low-income families to encourage animal husbandry.

In addition, local cadres are partnering with 1,008 low-income families to offer them information and assistance and help them fight poverty.

Haimen is attaching equal importance to environmental protection. In 2014, the city made it onto the list of the country’s demonstration low-carbon cities. The city also received an award from the Ministry of Environmental Protection for its ecological preservation efforts.

“If we grassroots officials cannot bring about change, we are letting the Party and our people down,” said Jiang.

“It is our mission to blaze a path of development for local people and we should be practical and fight to improve their livelihoods.”

Contact the writers through lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn