In his report on the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Vice Chairman Tomur Dawamat of the committee said that some new preferential policies, stipulated by the draft, are of vital importance to the economic and social development of ethnic autonomous regions.

According to Tomur, the majority of the 150 autonomous counties across the country are very poor and rely on financial support from the government. Therefore, the draft lays down that various levels of government should increase financial aid and investment to ethnic autonomous regions.

According to previous policy, when the State allocates funds for an infrastructure project in a certain place, the local government should provide matching funds for the project. In ethnic autonomous regions, more often than not, they cannot afford the match funds, therefore the draft stipulates that necessary preferential policies should be given in such case.

The draft also stipulates that the State should provide financial support for education and cultural undertakings such as the nine-year compulsory education, so as to upgrade the science, education and culture level in ethnic autonomous regions.

In view of China's upcoming entry into the World Trade Organization(WTO) and the implementating the strategy of developing the west, stipulation of some specific measures is left to the State Council and local government, Tomur said.

(Xinhua 10/24/2000)