Tide News under Zhejiang Daily Press Group:
At the end of every year, people in Zhejiang receive an open letter from the provincial governor, soliciting practical project proposals that the provincial government will undertake in the following year. Could you please inform us how Zhejiang province handles this matter and what the results are? Thank you.
Wang Hao:
Thank you for your question. I'll answer it. Our goal is to fulfill the people's expectations for better lives. Practical work concerning people's livelihoods is not only a major project for improving livelihoods and development but also a major project for winning people's hearts. Back in 2004 when General Secretary Xi Jinping worked in Zhejiang, he personally advanced the efforts of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and the Zhejiang provincial government to take the lead in issuing the "Opinions on Establishing and Improving a Long-term Mechanism for Delivering Services to the People." For the first time, "focusing on 10 aspects of practical matters concerning livelihoods" was included in the provincial government work report. For the past 20 years, we have been dedicated to addressing the most pressing, direct, and practical issues of the people. With the collaboration of provincial, city, and county-level governments, we dedicate ourselves to practical matters for the people each year, creating a "golden business card" for Zhejiang.
In 2023, we focused on practical matters to improve people's livelihoods and launched the "Seven Benefits" public service project. This initiative was designed to ensure people's access to quality childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance.. These are the specific contents of the "Seven Benefits." Based on this project, the provincial government identified 10 key aspects for improving people's livelihoods in 2023 and detailed them into 56 major items and 31,569 specific matters and tasks. Through our efforts over the past year, we have fully achieved the anticipated target, with a satisfaction rate of 99.5% among the public. In 2024, the provincial government will continue to plan and implement 32 projects in 10 key aspects. Our main approach in specific work is as follows:
In the solicitation phase, we collect suggestions for livelihood projects through the governor's open letter, ensuring people's voices are heard and responded to. Every October, the provincial government issues an open letter in the name of the governor to the entire province, seeking opinions and suggestions from the public on the practical matters concerning the coming year's livelihood projects. The response has always been enthusiastic, with high public participation. The open letter for soliciting livelihood projects in 2024 received 29.33 million views and over 40,000 suggestions.
When planning livelihood projects, we adhere to the principle of doing our best within our capabilities, focusing on addressing the most urgent and pressing issues of public concern. We prioritize basic, inclusive, and essential livelihood security, targeting major issues that people are deeply concerned, and those minor yet significant matters affecting people's daily lives. We strive to implement livelihood projects that truly resonate with the people. At the same time, we promote inclusive and accessible basic public services through these projects without being overambitious or inflating expectations. Moreover, we ensure that improving people's livelihoods is based on sustainable economic development and fiscal capacity at all levels.
In the decision-making process for public livelihood projects, we invite deputies to the People's Congress and members of the Political Consultative Committee to thoroughly review and discuss the projects, with the government strictly implementing and ensuring proper execution. We consider the 10 aspects of the provincial government's livelihood projects as a key part of the annual government work report and submit them to the provincial "two sessions" for review and discussion. Additionally, at the municipal, county and township levels, we have implemented a voting system by deputies to the People's Congress to decide on livelihood projects. This means that the projects are submitted to the People's Congress, and the specific projects to be implemented are determined through a differential voting process by the deputies. Based on the voting results of deputies at all levels, we identify the specific implementation items each year, promoting a more democratic, standardized, and rule-based mechanism for addressing public welfare matters.
In the implementation phase, we adhere to quantification, digitization, and closed-loop management to ensure that our promises are kept and that our actions lead to results. Every year, the provincial government's 10 aspects of livelihood projects are divided into a system of "two lists": a project list and a construction standard list. We clearly define the specific locations, construction standards, completion timelines, and responsible entities for each project. All projects are included in the government's digital platform for supervision. At the year's end, we publicly announce the progress of each project and location and present a report to the deputies and members of the provincial "two sessions." Simultaneously, we conduct evaluations on the public's satisfaction with the implementation of these projects, ensuring results and the fulfillment of our promises.
That's all for my answer. Thank you!
