Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has called for greater efforts in the country's experiment aimed at establishing a social security system for urban residents in north China's Liaoning province.
Addressing a recent meeting on the experiment, the premier said it is of great importance to establish a social security system suitable for the country's emerging socialist market economy, as it will have a significant bearing on the country's reform, development and stability.
Liaoning province, the country's heavy industrial center which is dominated by outdated State-owned firms, launched the country’s first pilot project for social security reform for its urban residents in July of 2001, following approval by the central government.
Officials from Liaoning told the participants in the meeting that the experiment involves a pension system for retired State-owned employees, unemployment insurance and subsistence allowances to low-income residents.
The participants said that facts have shown that the experiment has achieved its targets, and expenditures by the central and provincial governments for the experiment have been lower than expected.
The participants called on Liaoning province to continue the experiment and to set its assistance standards at a level, which encourages the unemployed to seek employment.
(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2003)
