The 10th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will intensify its supervision efforts in various fields in 2007 in compliance with a new law that takes effect this year, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said on Sunday in his report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee to nearly 3,000 lawmakers.

Noting this year marks the first year for the implementation of the Oversight Law, Wu said the national legislature will take the law as a "fulcrum" for efforts to strengthen and improve supervision, and strictly follow the supervision procedures defined in the law to raise the effectiveness of the oversight work of the NPC Standing Committee.

On the top agenda of the NPC Standing Committee's supervision work in 2007 are the government's efforts in building a new socialist countryside, energy conservation and environmental protection, according to Wu's report.

"Solving the problems related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers and building a new socialist countryside is a long, arduous historic task," said Wu, adding the NPC Standing Committee has always been concerned about work related to these problems.

The Standing Committee submitted three suggestions on rural financial problems, infrastructure development and social security to the State Council last year as a result of lawmakers' investigation on the implementation of the Agriculture Law, the Land Administration Law and the Law on Rural Land Contracts.

The State Council carefully considered the three suggestions, Wu said.

"Thanks to the concerted efforts of all sides, China's grain output steadily increased and rural per capita net income grew more than six percent per annum three years in a row. Rural infrastructure and rural working and living conditions also continued to improve. The country's drive to build a new socialist countryside is now well underway," said Wu.

To boost the country's efforts in building an energy-saving and environment-friendly society, the NPC Standing Committee has always focused its supervision on the implementation of the laws related to pollution control and energy conservation over the pastfew years, he said.

Noting the task of building a conservation-minded and environmentally friendly society is daunting, Wu said the country must truly change the approach to development, giving high priority to saving energy, reducing consumption and protecting the environment.

The NPC Standing Committee will also tighten its supervision on the reform of the medicare system in both urban and rural areas and on food and drug safety management in 2007, Wu said in the report.

Safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of workers and investigating the implementation of the Compulsory Education Law will also be on the priority list of the NPC Standing Committee's supervision work this year, said Wu.

The NPC Standing Committee will also listen to and deliberate reports by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on improving the systems for trial oversight and oversight over procuratorial work, according to the report.

The Standing Committee will supervise the government's efforts in protecting the rights and interests of overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots who invest in the mainland, said Wu.

The implementation of the Law on the Autonomy of Ethnic Minority Areas will also be under NPC Standing Committee's intensive monitor this year, Wu said. 

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2007)