Government and Policy
China allocates first batch of rural pension subsidies
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-04 22:52
BEIJING: China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) Friday allocated 950 million yuan (139 million US dollars), the first batch of subsidies for a new rural pension plan, to pilot counties in 27 province-level administrative regions.
The pilot rural pension program launched in August is expected to embrace 10 percent of the nation's counties by the end of 2009, and expand to cover the whole country by 2020.
The new scheme will be subsidized by the central and local governments.
Farmers over 60 will receive a monthly allowance of varying amounts set according to their area's standard income levels after paying a fee to join the program.
