The northern mountainous areas of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will be benefited by a multi-purpose poverty relief program with financial support by the World Bank and the British Government.

The poverty relief program, with a budget of 354.4 million yuan(about US$43.7 million), including US$30 million in mixed loans provided by WB and the British Government, is being executed in Guangxi's six poor counties inhabited by residents of ethnic groups such as Dong, Yao and Mulam, information from the regional development and reform commission said.

Tasks ranging from infrastructure construction, comprehensive agricultural development, construction of basic education, medical and health care causes, institutional construction, to development of human resources will be finished within five years.

Due to a lack of infrastructure such as highways and backward education, most of the people in Longsheng, Sanjiang, Rongshui, Rong'an, Luocheng, Huanjiang counties have been living in poverty for quite a long time.

The implementation of the program will be of positive significance to improving conditions for production and life of ethnic minority people in the northern party of Guangxi, and to eradicating poverty and becoming prosperous there, said an official from the regional development and reform commission.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2006)