8. We will conscientiously work to solve major problems that affect the vital interests of the people and promote the building of a harmonious society.

1) We need to continue to follow a proactive employment policy. We will energetically develop labor-intensive industries, small and medium-sized enterprises and the service sector that can create more employment opportunities. We will provide people with better vocational training to equip them with the skills to find work. We will focus on creating and finding employment for university graduates and laid-off workers and actively help members of zero-employment households and people who have real difficulties finding employment to find jobs. We will fully implement the system of labor contracts. We will experiment with a mechanism to promote employment that covers both urban and rural areas.

2) We need to do a good job adjusting income distribution. We will appropriately raise the labor share in the primary distribution of income. We will improve the wage negotiation mechanism. We will also make appropriate adjustments in and strictly follow the minimum wage system and further standardize income distribution in state-owned enterprises and institutions, especially in monopoly industries. We will improve tax collection and management and raise taxes for high-income earners. We will protect the legitimate rights and interests of rural migrant workers in cities by strengthening oversight over payment of their wages and requiring employers to set up a payroll guarantee fund.

3) We need to speed up development of the social safety net. We will extend coverage of basic old-age pensions, basic medical insurance and worker's compensation to urban employees of enterprises under all types of ownership as soon as possible. We will steadily proceed with the work of fully funding personal old-age pension accounts. We will launch the trial of basic medical insurance for urban residents that mainly covers major illnesses and work to provide rural migrant workers in cities with workers' compensation insurance and medical insurance for major diseases. We will study measures for transferring social security accounts of workers from one region to another. We will improve the management systems for social security funds and the funds in matching fund programs for housing to ensure their safety. We will continue working to improve the urban basic cost of living allowance system and set up a similar system for rural residents nationwide. Reasonable eligibility requirements for rural residents to receive such allowances and a reasonable level for allowances will be set, and areas with financial difficulties will receive appropriate assistance from the central government budget. We will accelerate efforts to improve the social assistance system for both urban and rural residents to better protect and help disabled persons, ensure that childless and infirm rural residents receive subsidies for food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expenses, and better care for orphaned and handicapped children.

4) We need to improve production safety and ensure food and drug safety. We will launch more campaigns to ensure food and drug safety and intensify oversight to ensure the quality of food and drugs and proper sanitary conditions in the food and beverage industry. We will set up a sound system and related mechanisms for ensuring production safety and make it clearer that enterprises have the main responsibility for production safety. We will work hard to bring the problem of coalmine gas buildup under control, remedy safety problems in coalmines and shut down coalmines that fail to meet requirements for production safety. We will carry out campaigns to improve safety in industries most affected by safety issues such as hazardous chemicals, fireworks, transportation, fire prevention, construction and explosives for civilian use. We will intensify preventive safety measures in schools and entertainment venues.

5) We need to step up efforts to reduce poverty through development. We will properly manage and use budgetary funds for poverty alleviation and for projects to give people work instead of merely handing out relief subsidies, strongly support small rural infrastructure projects in key counties included in the national plan for poverty alleviation through development and continue to relocate people from inhospitable areas as a poverty relief effort on a trial basis. We will carry out fellow-up policies to support relocation of residents from reservoir areas and do a good job rebuilding disaster-hit areas.

6) We need to safeguard and promote social stability. We will attach a great deal of importance to solving problems arising from land expropriation and requisition, housing demolition and resident relocation, enterprise restructuring and petitions concerning interpretation and enforcement of the law. We will increase our overall ability to respond to emergencies and improve the system of contingency plans for the various types of emergencies. We will improve the crime prevention and control system and launch extensive campaigns to promote peace and security.

Fellow Deputies,

Our tasks in reform, development and stability for 2007 will be arduous. Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, we will hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, fully put into practice major strategic concepts of the Scientific Outlook on Development and building a harmonious socialist society, and work hard together in a down-to-earth manner to achieve the targets for economic and social development and promote sound and rapid development of the national economy!

(China.org.cn March 19, 2007)