The chairman of the Tibet autonomous region said the local economy had sound and rapid growth in 2013, and the government invested more than half its budget to raise the living standards of Tibetans and other ethnicities.

Lobsang Jamcan said during an exclusive interview with China Daily on Friday that the region's government focused on agricultural and infrastructure improvement last year. It also tried to strengthen industries that take advantage of Tibet's unique strengths and ecology. The local government also paid much of its attention to improving people's well-being and the public service sector, he said.

Tibet's GDP exceeded 80 billion yuan ($13 billion) in 2013, an annual increase of 12.1 percent. The cumulative fixed asset investment was 91.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29 percent. The annual per capita net income of farmers and herdsmen was 6,578 yuan in 2013, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year. The average per capita disposable income for urban residents was 20,023 yuan, an annual increase of 11.1 percent.

The economy underwent sound and rapid growth last year, with people's livelihood and the ecological environment continuing to improve, he said.

The chairman said the interest of farmers and herdsmen is a priority for the regional government.

"As the people voted me chairman, it's my obligation to seek welfare for the people, and it is bound to be," Lobsang said.

Last year, the government spent more than half its budget to help improve the lives of people, especially those in pastoral areas and disadvantaged groups, he said.

"We are trying to offer better education, more employment opportunities, higher income, sounder social security, high-quality healthcare and a beautiful environment," the chairman said.

Eighteen types of subsidies were given to local residents, and 28,000 people were newly employed in 2013. More than 2.48 million people were incorporated into the social security system last year, he said.

A power supply is now accessible for many villages where no electricity was available before, and the water supply for many farmers and herdsmen in remote areas is no longer a problem after years of effort.

In addition, 2.3 million farmers and herdsmen have moved into new homes in the region, thanks to an eight-year housing project that was completed last year, while 128,000 people were removed from the list of poverty-stricken groups in Tibet.

The subsidy for each student at primary and high schools was raised to 2,900 yuan per year to cover food, accommodation and tuition fees. Sixty percent of students raised in farmer and herdsmen families were enrolled in colleges or universities.

The government established 23 nursing homes for the elderly and five children's welfare institutes to provide homelike care for underprivileged groups.

"We will make great efforts to provide better education, more stable jobs, more reliable social security, better medical conditions, more-satisfying incomes, better living conditions, a more beautiful environment, and a wealthier life to all ethnic groups of Tibet," the chairman said.

(China Daily USA 03/20/2014 page6)