China hands out more to Xinjiang low-income residents
- Source: Xinhua
- [11:01 July 27 2010]
- Comments
Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will again raise monthly subsidies for low-income residents, the ninth such move since 2005 to ensure a minimum standard of living in the region.
Starting from June 1, the monthly subsidies for urban low-income residents will be increased by 30 yuan ($4.4) to 185 yuan per person, benefiting 645,000 people, said Mo Juan, Party chief of the regional Department of Civil Affairs, at a news conference Monday.
Meanwhile, about 1.3 million rural low-income residents will each have their monthly subsides lifted from 65 yuan to 75 yuan, Mo said.
In Xinjiang, for a person to be eligible for the subsidy their income must be below 138 yuan a month in urban areas and below 700 yuan a year in rural areas.
Xinjiang is a region inhabited by various ethnic groups, including Han, Uygur, Kazak, Hui and others. The region has a total population of 21 million.
China aims to boost economic development and improve the people's livelihoods in Xinjiang, which was hit by a deadly riot July last year.
Authorities in Xinjiang announced Sunday that the minimum monthly wage in the region's cities and counties would be increased by 24.6 percent on average.
