IT projects to be built included an e-government pilot project, a digital library, and Shenzhen Telecommunications and digital wire broadcasting system, said an official with the city's information office.

An initial sum of 1.8 billion yuan (217 million US dollars) has been arranged for the 85 projects, said the official, adding that some key projects would be open to investment from public capital.

The projects with investment exceeding 100 million yuan (12 million US dollars) include the city's subway automatic booking system, projects at the civilian recreation center, an IT transport card research project and network projects in the university town.

The largest investment would be in a network information system which needed funds of 500 million yuan (60.2 million US dollars), the official said, adding the projects would effectively boost the city's social and economic development.

Shenzhen has gained initial headway in digital development. Statistics show the information network popularization rate in the city is 37.28 network terminals for every 100 persons, with broad-band connecting 30 percent of the households.

In addition, average per capita consumption of information facilities accounted for some 20 percent of per capita total consumption expenditures.

Thirty percent of the public services offered by the city government are conducted through the network. About 50 percent of the city's total enterprises have been connected.

In 2002, Shenzhen registered three billion yuan (361 million US dollars) in electronic business turnover, the official said.

Application of IT has become more popular in Shenzhen where it has been widely applied in banks, taxation, enterprise monitoring, digital libraries and residential services.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2003)