A three-step system for poverty alleviation

Pan’an County kicked off the poverty alleviation campaign in an orderly manner, and delivered specific solutions regarding the subject and executor of the campaign, as well as ways to lift the poor out of poverty. By the end of November 2015, the county lifted 4,755 families and 7,072 people above the 4,600 yuan per capita annual income poverty threshold.

County authorities conducted detailed examinations to make sure all people and families living below the poverty line were targeted. Poverty alleviation records were created and filed for each subject, while county and township administrative departments managed the files according to categories. Each town was assigned a special official to conduct one-on-one poverty alleviation. By the end of June 2015, officials had visited all of the poor population. The county party committee assigned ‘first secretaries’ to all of the 88 provincial level poverty-stricken villages.

Pan’an designed 10 poverty alleviation measurers and five poverty alleviation plans based on experiences drawn from other counties. In the meantime, it also set up an assessment and evaluation system. County officials who failed to raise the poor population’s annual per capita income above 4,600 would have their year-end title qualifications revoked, and their annual bonus deducted by 500 to 1,000 yuan.

Pan’an county’s Shanghu Town was chosen as a pioneer location for poverty alleviation. Village officials visited all of the 2,767 low-income farmers in Shanghu and learnt about their precise conditions. A system linking the village first secretary, village officials and the town poverty alleviation office was set up to categorize the population. There were four reasons and three causes that led to their poverty: diseases, schooling, disabilities, disasters, and the lack of channels, skills and capital. Poverty alleviation files were created accordingly, and five plans were designed to help lift the 448 families and 694 people out of poverty. Wei Huilin, a poor villager from Shanghu Town hoped to set up a business of his own but lacked both the capital and the skills. Thanks to help from the village, Wei was provided with 4,000 yuan and help from expert to start fish farming. It was expected that Wei would see his income increase by 5,000 yuan from his new business.

The county conducted poverty alleviation with the principle of helping as many as possible. It designed plans according to each subject’s personal condition and found them employment in industries such as characteristic agriculture, processing, and social welfare. It also supported low-income families to participate in equity dividends. Gaoer Town helped the extremely poor villagers to plant kiwifruits, Xinwo Town helped their villagers to expand their Chinese herbs planting base, Shanghu Town encouraged enterprises to engage in social welfare projects, setting up workshops to offer employment to the mentally challenged, and Weixin Town included low-income farmers in stock dividend quantization. By the end of November, Pan’an County had helped 321 families and 475 people set up businesses across industries, and found employment opportunities for 238 families and 455 people.

The county also issued supervision orders to inspect the poverty alleviation work at any time and any location without advance notice. The monthly inspection and report system allowed results of the poverty alleviation work and officials’ visits to be made public，and the ultimate goal of helping as many as possible with as much as possible achieved.