Shenzhen will implement measures to narrow the income gap between the low- income and the high-income sections of society in the next five years from 2006 to 2010.

The news was released Wednesday at a Party meeting to approve the city's economic and social development plan for the 11th Five-Year Program period.

Xu Zongheng, mayor of Shenzhen, said that for the next five years, the city will keep the unemployment rate for permanent residents at under three percent. The city government will encourage entrepreneurial efforts on the part of its citizens to help start more businesses. Shenzhen will also lower its market entry threshold and help lower costs for private high-tech businesses.

According to the mayor, Shenzhen will enlarge the size of the middle class. He said to do so, the city would regulate its wealth distribution by cracking down on illegal means of earning money, and limiting the number of people with excessively high income.

He also called for the narrowing of the income gap between districts and between people, and providing more help to migrant workers and low-income people by implementing a minimum wage limit, as well as helping them in such areas as remuneration, medical care, residence, training and education of their children.

At the same meeting, Li Hongzhong, secretary of Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, also made remarks on developing the city by using a more scientific approach in the next five years.

Li said that with limited resources in land, water and energy, Shenzhen should change its traditional mentality as well as its approaches to development. The development should center around people and give priority to education undertakings. Li also urged Shenzhen to become more innovative in both technological and social development.

(Shenzhen Daily December 30, 2005)