context: The ongoing epidemic will surely have a major impact on poverty alleviation, but central determination to achieve the 2020 target of eliminating poverty has not relented. The No.1 Document continues to emphasise poverty alleviation, and CPAD has promised to step up supervision to ensure objectives are met.
CPAD (State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development) and six other agencies jointly released ‘Announcement on launching a campaign on poverty alleviation through consumption’, specifying
- general objectives
- increasing farmer income through consumption
- ensuring food supply for cities
- basic principles
- combining rural poverty alleviation with urban food supply
- integrating government guidance with market mechanisms
- piloting innovative measures and establishing long-term mechanisms
- using poverty alleviation through consumption to consolidate east-west poverty alleviation cooperation
- promoting online and offline sales
- major measures
- government procurement of agricultural products from impoverished areas
- government-established markets for eastern provinces to purchase products from western provinces
- selling agricultural products through commercial platforms provided by enterprises
- selling agricultural products from deeply impoverished areas on the e-commerce platform of Social Participation in Poverty Alleviation and Development of China
- identifying qualified products
- local authorities are responsible for identifying qualified poverty alleviation products
- applicants should ensure all relevant standards are met
- CPAD is responsible for creating a list of poverty alleviation products and updating it annually
- enhancing supervision
- work requirements
CPAD and MoF (Ministry of Finance) also released an announcement to increase funding and minimise the effects of COVID-19 on poverty alleviation. It specifies
- accelerating central funding for poverty alleviation
- local authorities may develop their own policies to support impoverished regions impacted by COVID-19
- supporting industrial poverty alleviation
- rewarding enterprises for keeping jobs
- providing social security for impoverished people who cannot work due to COVID-19
- improving management of county-level poverty alleviation projects
- ensuring the construction of poverty alleviation projects
- enhancing supervision