Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing on Sunday that he
will faithfully report to deputies of the highest legislature the
government's failed efforts last year to reduce energy consumption
and pollutant emissions in a major report he is to deliver on
Monday.
"We had made great efforts but failed to reach the set
goal," Wen said when joining a panel discussion of members of the
Tenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's political advisory
body.
"We will faithfully report to deputies of the National
People's Congress (NPC) what had been done in 2006 to reduce
energy consumption and pollutant emissions in the report on the
work of the government," the premier said.
Wen is to deliver the government work report at the
opening meeting of the Fifth Session of the Tenth NPC, China's
highest legislature, which is scheduled to begin on
Monday.
The government will report its work on energy saving
and reduction of pollutant emissions every year in the 2006-2010
period when China implements its 11th five-year program for
national economic and social development, said Wen.
Along with the yearly report on this target, "we will
deliver a final report in the last year of the five-year period,"
he said.
In his report on the government work delivered at last
year's NPC annual session, Wen announced the goal of reducing
energy consumption per unit GDP by 20 percent in the five-year
period from 2006 to 2010. The goal for 2006 was four
percent.
Last week the National Bureau of Statistics reported
China's per unit GDP energy consumption fell 1.23 percent in 2006,
missing the projected target, but the first time for China to see
an annual decline in energy consumption per unit GDP since
2003.
Despite the failure, Wen said the "serious" five-year
target of energy consumption reduction will not be changed, and we
will try every means to reach the goal.
"This is our unswerving determination," said the
premier, adding, "I'll explain to deputies tomorrow, and I also
will appeal to them for their understanding."
On the country's agricultural production, Wen said
though grain production had grown for three consecutive years, it
will still be difficult to see steady growth this year.
"We would possibly see reduction in grain production
this year if no efforts are made to deal with challenges brought
about by abnormal weather conditions, warm winter and drought which
have led to the spindling of winter wheat and increasing plant
disease and insect pests."
"If something comes wrong with the economy in the
future, there may possibly be in the sector of agriculture,
especially grain production," said the premier.
"By no means can we treat the matter lightly," he
added.
(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2007)
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