Shenzhen will spend a total of 270.9 billion yuan (US$40.17 billion) on the betterment of people’s livelihoods, including education, health care and employment, in the year of 2019, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
The city aims to complete 40 such projects in 10 areas throughout the year, the Daily said, citing the government work report. Government expenditures in education and health care will increase by 11 percent and 13 percent, respectively, according to the Daily.
A total of 20,000 slots for kindergartens and more than 30,000 public school slots will be added this year.
Additionally, there will be 3,500 new beds in hospitals and 1,000 beds in nursing homes for the elderly this year, according to the government work report.
Meanwhile, the city will initiate myopia prevention and treatment and scoliosis screening services for children.
The city will further facilitate government services and unveil 400 approval items that can be processed online.
According to official statistics, the city spent a total of 277.2 billion yuan, accounting for 65 percent of the city’s total fiscal expenditure, on the improvement of residents’ livelihoods in 2018.
Shenzhen raised its minimum monthly wage standard to 2,200 yuan and the minimum subsistence standard to 1,070 yuan per month last year. The unemployment rate was contained at under 2.5 percent, according to government figures.
As an important part of the government work report, the annual livelihood projects of the government are always the major concerns of deputies to the Municipal People’s Congress and the city’s political advisers during the annual “two sessions,” where government departments would listen to their opinions and suggestions and optimize solutions related to people’s livelihood.