Three million Chinese farmers are likely to lose their land
every year for the next five years as the country speeds towards
urbanization, according to sources with the Ministry of Labor and
Social Security.
Over the last ten years, about 40 million farmers have lost
their land, the sources said.
The Ministry proposed to solve the inevitable disputes caused by
land requisition by offering employment training and social
security benefits to farmers left landless. It also expects that
many farmers who lose their land will be forced to join the growing
population of migrant workers trying to earn a living in the
cities.
The training will mainly target young and middle aged farmers
and social benefits will be provided to the older folk, who are
likely to receive medical care, pension as well as cash
handouts.
The government's land requisition scheme makes it hard for
landless farmers to survive, so training and social security
benefits are very important, the sources said.
Local governments should ensure funds are used to implement
these measures. No other company or individual should use the money
for any other purpose.
Farmers who've had their land requisitioned for urban planning
would also be eligible for small loans at preferential interest
rates.
In the past, compensation for farmers was not well managed and
was too low, the sources said, adding that if the total
compensation for their land cannot provide the farmers with a
standard equal to their original living conditions, the government
should offer more.
Auditor-General of the National Audit Office Li Jinhua,
explaining how bad some land deals can be, cited the example of
farmers in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. They received compensation of
only 4,800 yuan (US$600) per mu (0.067 hectares) when they were
actually entitled to receive 18,900 yuan (US$2,363) per mu.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)