Guangming Daily:
I understand that since 2023, Anhui has established a system to collect the people's voices and address their appeals regularly. Could you please elaborate on Anhui's measures to ensure and improve people's livelihoods? What results have been achieved? Thank you.
Fei Gaoyun:
Ensuring and improving people's livelihoods have always been the starting point and ultimate goal of our work. For 17 consecutive years, we have implemented livelihood projects and practical measures, continuously enhancing people's well-being through the promotion of high-quality development. I will give two examples.
The first example is about medical treatment. In the past, Anhui lacked high-quality medical resources, and it was common for local people to seek medical treatment in other provinces. Since 2020, under the country's guidance, we have started cooperating with top domestic hospitals, such as Beijing Tiantan Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Fudan University. With a total investment of 13 billion yuan, we have built nine national regional medical centers, four of which are already operational and five are under construction. These centers provide high-level and convenient medical resources for local people.
The second example is about drinking water. Due to the limitations of weather and geography in northern Anhui, the main source of drinking water here was groundwater in the past, which is difficult to access and has unstable quality. Since 2021, we have implemented a water diversion project for the people in northern Anhui, with a total investment of over 26 billion yuan. We now use the Yangtze-Huaihe Grand Canal to divert water from the Yangtze River to northern Anhui, replacing the existing groundwater sources. We had completed replacement projects in 13 counties and districts by the end of last year, and plan to finish the projects in the remaining 15 counties and districts by the end of next year. By then, more than 30 million urban and rural residents in northern Anhui will all have access to higher-quality drinking water.
While carrying out work to improve people's livelihoods, we place a high value on addressing their concerns. Even the smallest matters are given top priority by the government. Since last year, we have been actively responding to each and every one of the people's concerns and have established a platform system to collect the people's voices at the provincial, city, and county levels. We have instituted a closed-loop work mechanism from collecting the people's voices to referring them to relevant government departments, strengthening follow-up oversight, making evaluations, and providing feedback. This mechanism effectively addresses existing problems so that beneficial policies are well implemented and we can better respond to the people's concerns and hear their voices. We work to offer more channels for the people to express their needs and ensure that the appropriate departments and officials are addressing their concerns. As of now, the system has collected 51,700 appeals and 50,800 of them have been settled, earning genuine praise from the public
Efforts to improve people's livelihoods are ongoing and require consistent dedication. In March this year, the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and the Anhui provincial government held a special conference on people's livelihoods and issued guidelines. We will consistently optimize the system for collecting public feedback, streamline channels for voicing concerns, enhance the quality and efficiency of handling these concerns, and deepen governance at the source. We will implement 50 livelihood projects on a rolling basis, addressing them one by one, year after year, to continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Thank you.