Jilin province is boosting its economic development with the aim of reaching 6 percent GDP growth and improving local residents' quality of life this year.

According to Jing Junhai, Jilin's governor, the province plans to promote economic growth through upgrading local industries, driving market demand, boosting investment and improving innovation capacity.

Through these efforts, the province is expected to see 2 percent year-on-year growth in its fiscal revenue, add 450,000 new jobs and limit the registered unemployment rate to below 4.5 percent by the end of this year.

Jilin's government said it will promote the growth of independently developed automobiles and new-energy vehicles, expand the production base for ethanol fuel, and build brands in the green food processing sector to transform and upgrade traditional industries.

The province will also carry out plans to strengthen service sector businesses. According to the governor, the added value of the service sector is expected to account for 45 percent of total local GDP in 2018, as Jilin continues to develop production-oriented services, tourism and modern logistics.

To boost its tourism industry, the Jilin government said it plans to help build attractions with local characteristics, such as winter tours and ecotour destinations, and to improve related infrastructure.

According to Jing, Jilin will undertake new measures to stimulate market demand according to residents' needs and generate new businesses in emerging industries, such as culture and big data. Promoting e-commerce in the countryside is one key measure being taken to achieve this.

In addition, the province is promoting technological innovation by supporting technology companies, and enhancing cooperation between innovative businesses and local governments to establish innovation centers.

Technologies and projects related to big data, cloud computing and the internet will be integrated with advanced manufacturing, according to the governor.

The Jilin government will also establish favorable policies to attract experts and entrepreneurs from home and abroad, and set up innovation training hubs for university students and scholars to launch innovative projects.

This year, Jilin plans to help 102,000 residents and 539 poor villages to rid themselves of poverty with the support of policies and special poverty alleviation funds. It also aims to improve education levels and medical coverage in rural areas, according to Jing.

Jilin has committed itself to helping 7,000 disabled locals to get new jobs, rebuilding 20 rural social welfare service centers and building 100 village pension service stations this year. In addition, the heating facilities of 100 rural primary and middle schools will be improved.

Echoing the national plans for environmental protection, Jilin will take its own actions on pollution control.

For instance, the province will control sources of water pollution and strengthen the prevention of air pollution, to get rid of smog and create more blue skies.

A total of 25 straw use projects, which aim to turn straw into reusable resources, will be launched by the government. The practice helps to prevent farmers burning leftover straw in their fields, which used to be common practice in the north of China and a major source of smog.

In addition, Jilin will accelerate the construction of 18 low-carbon energy demonstration counties and increase the use of electric-powered heating systems, according to Jing.

(China Daily 03/06/2018 page10)