China's parliament ready to adopt five-year plan
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-11 16:16

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) is ready to endorse the country's 11th five-year plan and Premier Wen Jiabao's government work report which set high economic growth rate for the next five years and aggressive scheme for investment in rural development and sci- tech innovation.

A presidium meeting of the NPC session announced Friday that the two major documents will be put to vote at the closing ceremony of the Fourth Session of the Tenth NPC on March 14, after 34 major revisions were made to the draft of the 11th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and eight to Premier Wen' s report.

"The draft five-year plan is positive, feasible and achievable after tangible efforts," said Fu Zhihuan, chairman of the NPC Fiscal and Financial Committee, at the meeting.

The five-year plan proposed an annual growth rate of 7.5 percent for the national economy during 2006 to 2010, and Premier Wen set the growth rate for this year at around 8 percent.

The government also set forth aggressive schemes to invest in the country's rural areas in the fields of infrastructure, free compulsory education, and medicare facilities. It spearheaded 71.6 billion yuan for investment in science and technology in 2006, representing an increase of 19.2 percent year-on-year.

The 34 revisions to the five-year plan and eight to Premier Wen 's report were based on the suggestions and opinions of the nearly 3,000 deputies to the Parliament after four-day discussions.

Major additions to the five-year plan include:

-- Efforts should be strengthened to encourage teachers in urban schools to assist rural education;

-- Rural architecture with unique characteristics shall be protected;

-- Educational fees shall be well regulated, and all educational fees should be publicized for public comment and supervision;

The government work report was added:

-- Ecological compensation mechanism shall be set up soon for the improvement of environment;

-- More efforts shall be made to support the development of ethnic minority regions with fewer population.

The presidium meeting also decided Friday to submit this year's draft plan for economic and social progress and the budget plan to the NPC session for adoption.