China invests further 3.1b yuan in work-relief programs

BEIJING - China's top economic planner on Wednesday said it has allocated another 3.1 billion yuan ($435.4 million) from the central budget to support programs that provide work as a form of relief for people in need.

The additional investment followed a combined investment of 7.8 billion yuan issued from the beginning of the year to mid-June, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The funds will be used to support 559 work-relief projects in 22 provincial-level regions in central and western China, enabling more than 100,000 people in need to participate in construction projects and raise their incomes by about 10,000 yuan on average.

Chinese authorities have allocated a total of 10.9 billion yuan to date in 2023 to support these work-relief programs. After the projects are implemented, it is estimated that more than 3 billion yuan will be paid in labor remunerations, helping about 300,000 people in rural areas to find work at home.