A senior Chinese official on Wednesday called for a "good start" to the rural pension pilot program that is expected to cover 10 percent of the nation's counties by the end of 2009, and expand to the whole country by 2020.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang said at a conference that governments at all levels should ensure the safety of the pension funds and never allow any embezzlement.

Zhang said the pilot program is an important beneficial policy that can promote reform and development of China's vast rural areas and an important measure to cope with the global financial crisis.

Governments at all levels should "attach great importance" to the implementation of the policy and use understandable terms to introduce the program to farmers, Zhang said.

Any rural resident above the age of 16 is eligible to join the program on their own will.

The pension program would be paid by farmers themselves with subsidies and benefits from both the central budget and local governments.

Under the new system, aged farmers in rural areas will receive a monthly allowance of varying amounts, which will be set by governments based on the income standards in their areas.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2009)