Minister of Labor and Social Security Zhang Zuoji said Wednesday
that China has basically developed a market-oriented employment
mechanism and the framework of social security system has been
initially established.
Zhang told a news conference on the sidelines of the on-going First
Sessions of the 10th
National People's Congress and the 10th National Committee of
the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that China
has made considerable progress in improving its social security
system.
He
said that major achievements in this respect include:
--
A major labor restructuring during the transition from a planned
economy to a market one has been basically completed;
--
Efforts have been made to provide basic living means to people with
difficulties;
--
The pension system has been continuously improved;
--
The traditional labor protection medicare and free medicare systems
have been replaced with a basic medicare insurance system;
--
The pilot project for improving social security system in Liaoning
Province has made breakthrough;
--
Employment policies are being actively formulated;
--
Diversified financing channels have been developed to reinforce
social insurance funds; and,
--
More and more people have been covered by social insurance.
Zhang Zuoji said that this year China will make efforts to create
more than 8 million new jobs, about half of which will be offered
to laid-off workers.
Statistics show that from 1998 to 2000, China's registered
unemployment rate in urban areas remained at 3.1 percent, while it
was 3.6 percent for 2001 and 4 percent for 2002, rising steadily
though still lower than the targeted line.
Over the past five years over 80 million farmers have gone to
cities to find jobs, Zhang said.
Meanwhile, according to information obtained from the Ministry of
Civil Affairs, this year China's civil affairs departments will
gradually promote the building of a minimum living insurance system
in rural areas. By the end of 2002, 4.04 million people in rural
areas have enjoyed minimum living subsidies.
Zhang said that efforts will be made to expand the number of social
insurance beneficiaries.
He
said that within this year, beneficiaries of China's pension system
will be increased from 130 million to 150 million; while that of
the unemployment insurance system will be increased from
approximately 100 million to 110 million; and that of the medicare
insurance system will be increased from 90 million to 100
million.
He
also said that the pension for the retired had been increased from
415 yuan a month in 1997 to 627 yuan a month in 2002. But he
acknowledged that the time is not mature for adopting a national
farmers' social insurance system.
The number of people receiving unemployment insurance had risen
from 580,000 in December 1998 to 4.4 million in December 2002, and
over the past five years 12 million people enjoyed unemployment
insurance, said Zhang.
Zhang said that the government plans to put in more to promote
employment, and in this year's budget, 4.7 billion yuan is
earmarked for promoting employment in western areas and traditional
industrial bases, in addition to fiscal subsidies to social
security fund and laid-off workers.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2003)