It must be set as a primary task to build a well-off society in an all-round way to expand domestic demand and promote economic growth, Wen said when he was visiting poverty-stricken families in the northern province of Shanxi between Thursday and Saturday.

On learning that some farmers seeking jobs in cities found their salaries defaulted or embezzled, Wen asked relevant departments to take immediate steps to stop such irregularities and defend the legitimate rights and interests of farmers.

To build a well-off society in an all-round way, the issues of agriculture, rural economy and farmers deserve more attention, and every possible way must be tried to increase farmers' incomes, he said.

To improve people's capacity to fighting against natural disasters, especially those in poverty-stricken areas, construction of infrastructure facilities such as roads, water and electricity supply systems must be accelerated.

Meanwhile, fee-for-tax reforms must forge ahead so as to alleviate the financial burdens on farmers whose annual income mainly comes from grain crops.

He said agricultural restructuring should be pushed forward quickly in a way that can boost the industrialization of the rural economy and the development of high-yield and environmentally friendly agriculture.

The vice-premier also called for efforts to earnestly carry out the grain-for-green drive to convert more farmland to grassland and forest, and seriously implement the tax reduction and exemption policies in disaster-hit areas.

In cities, the service industry, medium-sized and small enterprises as well as the private sector should be further boosted to create more job opportunities, he said when visiting some workers laid off from State-owned enterprises.

He also stressed the importance of granting full-amount basic living subsidies and retirement pensions on time to the urban poor and retired workers.

Governments at various levels must move to cut unnecessary spending, Wen said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2003)