China's basic old-age pension payment to reach 400b yuan
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-15 12:08

China's basic old-age pension payment will reach 400 billion yuan (US$50 billion) in 2005, said Liu Yongfu, vice minister of Ministry of Labor and Social Security, on Thursday.

The amount of basic old-age pension was only 151.2 billion yuan, Liu said at a press conference hosted by the Information Office of the State Council.

Since 1998, the labor and social security administrative departments at various levels have redoubled efforts to ensure the timely and full payment of old-age pension to retirees," Liu added.

The pension arrears decreased from 600 million yuan a month in 1998 to 300 million yuan in 1999, and 100 million yuan in 2000. There were 132 million yuan arrears occurred in some localities in 2003, he said.

In recent years, there was no more new pension arrears, he stressed.

At the same time, localities were active in finding solutions to pay out the arrears occurred in the past, he said.