Harbin to boost spending to improve living standards

Spending from the government of Harbin's general public budget in the current year will be mainly used in eight fields to improve the standard of living of it residents, according to information from a financial conference held in the city on March 12.

Harbin's revenue in the general public budget is projected to total 39.77 billion yuan ($5.93 billion) this year— up 3.5 percent on last year — while total spending is projected be 89.5 billion yuan, for a year-on-year increase of 17.1 percent.

Officials said most of the expenditure will flow to education, health services, elderly care, social security, social assistance, urban construction management, public transport subsidies, and entrepreneurship and employment.

Specific measures include establishing more public hospitals, providing free pre-marital health check services, expanding construction of Harbin Railway Station and Harbin Taiping International Airport, providing minimum standard of living allowances for poor residents and orphans and funding actions against social violence and crime.