China is the first developing country reaching the poverty reduction goal successfully. According to a UN report, 76 per cent of the achievements gained in the global poverty reduction come from China. So, China attained wonderful outcomes in poverty alleviation program, which was emphasized by the Chinese government.
Over the past five years, more than 66 million rural poor have been reduced, and the poor population under the current standard has reduced by more than two thirds. This was explained recently by Dr. Xu Liping Associate Professor of International Poverty Reduction Center in China during the training lecture to Ethiopian Trainees in Beijing.
According to her presentation «Rural Poverty Reduction in China: Policy and Practice” reliable progress is recorded in rural areas in all aspects of life. For example, malnutrition is down by 23.9 per cent, illiteracy rate 6.7 per cent under-five child mortality rate 61 per cent and the maternal mortality rate has been reduced by 88.8 per cent.
The Chinese government has adjusted the annual allocation of funds of 16 billion Yuan (2011) for students from poor families in rural areas. On this regard, 4 Yuan is utilized per person. In 2014, the Chinese government allocated a total fund of 47.2 billion Yuan, which covered 30 provinces, 134 thousand schools, and 32 million students.
Dr. Xu Liping stressed that State Council is Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development since 1986. The achievements of rural Poverty Reduction and its absolute elimination are realized using accurate targeting Policy on Poverty Alleviation, and China’s International poverty reduction cooperation. The Chinese government set Goals for 2020 to eliminate absolute poverty from the country.
So, by 2020, food security and clothing, compulsory education, basic medicare and housing will be solved and secured. Consecutively farmers’ income growth rate in poverty-stricken areas is higher than the national average, and basic public services are close to the national standard. China abolished absolute poverty for all 55.75 million rural poor, and poverty-stricken counties, and solved the regional poverty problem. The formulation of plans for development is based on “National Eight-Seven Poverty Reduction Plan of 1994-2000.”
There are six aspects to identify rural poverty reduction and support targeted regions. These are the identification of poor households, anti-poverty measures, assignment of a work team, project arrangement, fund use and poverty exit mechanism. Practices of local identifications are multi-dimensions.
Therefore, in Weining County in Guizhou province, four dimensions are identified. These are housing, food supply, labor forces and schooling. There are also six dimensions of poverty alleviation policies such as labor transfer, relocation of poor, education, health assistance, ecological protection and living standard guarantee.
Through these multi-dimensions, 128 thousand work team and 540 thousand officials facilitate and coordinate the development plan. Hence, a few years back Weinan City was one of the poorest areas in Gansu Province. But at this time it is considered as the first pilot city for national commerce poverty alleviation.
In Weinan City we found high-quality agricultural products, at 2016, more than 10,000 online stores sold 6.4 billion Yuan of agricultural products and 7.18 million people achieved employment, 750 stricken villages opened 980 online stores and 150,000 poor people to increase their income. Also, Weinan cultivates the brand of products. Many farmers have begun to register trademarks and carry out food safety certification for their products. Rural houses and roads have been constructed through a renovation scheme in the country.
As well in Yucheng County, Heze City, Shandong Province found 129 poverty-stricken villages. Most of the young people in the village go out to work, leaving a large number of left-behind children, women and the elderly. The local people have the tradition of processing handicrafts such as hair products, strips, and spinning. Since 2015, Heze City built “poverty alleviation workshop”.
The city has built 1,803 “poverty alleviation workshops”, and 383 enterprises have been settled in, directly resettling and driving 191,341 people to work at home, which has lifted 57,685 people out of poverty, including 49,724 women, 519 people with disability. The elderly are 8653 including 69 people over 80 years.
Trough rural endowment insurances and special assistance, rural residents lifted out of poverty and guaranteed.
To realize poverty reduction, International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) is established. The Shanghai Global Conference works on Scaling up Poverty Reduction achievements. The establishment of the International Poverty Reduction Center in China based on research, exchange training and cooperation.
It is very important to underline that the experience of China on poverty alleviation is very thoughtful to Ethiopia and other under developing countries of the world.
The Ethiopian Herald August 6/2019
BY TADDELE GEDELE TSEGAYE (PhD)
