The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's macro economic planner, put forward 12 measures on Thursday aimed at helping low-income families and retirees.

The measures come as housing prices and the price of some daily necessities, such as pork and edible oil in particular, have been increasing this year, putting added pressure on low-income people.

The price hikes have raised concern among those who are barely able to make ends meet, especially in the urban areas where the cost of living is relatively higher.

Official statistics show the year-on-year consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, has been growing by more than 6 percent for three consecutive months since August. If calculated by October's index, every urban resident will have to spend 44.2 yuan (US$5.97) more in living expenses every month. The accrued expenditure for rural residents per capita is 16.7 yuan.

Without a helping hand, the already poor living standards of low-income families across the country will continue to get worse.

The 12 measures, to be implemented over two years, have come just in time to alleviate the plight of the poor and help them live a decent life.

Households that have been living on a minimum allowance, retirees, farmers, transient workers and college students will be the immediate beneficiaries.

For the aid to be delivered into the hands of the needy, however, will be no easy task.

A closer look at the aid package indicates the central government is not only asking for more funds to be spent on the poor but also solutions to several old problems.

Affluent provinces may have little trouble lifting pensions to a level higher than their average growth in the past three years. But they will have to double their efforts to return defaulted wages to transient workers, an issue that has snowballed in recent years.

In rural areas, more muscle needs to be flexed to solve the defaulted wage problem concerning teachers and expansion of the medical system to benefit more farmers.

Improving basic living conditions should top the working agenda of all provinces as it concerns the welfare of the people and social stability.

(China Daily December 7, 2007)