QINGDAO had set its GDP growth target for this year at 12 percent, according to the recently concluded legislative meeting.

    The city aims to raise revenue by 15 percent this year and people’s incomes by 12 percent. The city also hopes to contain the unemployment rate within 4 percent, consumer price increase within 4 percent and the population growth rate to within 0.39 percent.

    To achieve the goals, the city will boost consumption while maintaining stable and sound economic development. Costing 358.8 billion yuan, a total of 260 key project are due to be started, 80 percent of which concern people’s well-being, service industry and technical innovation.

    This year will see the completion and operation of 80 key projects.

    The city will step up industrial restructuring and deliver full preferential support to the development of a modern service industry.

    Support would also be extended to modern agriculture, industrialization in counties and modern urbanization.

    In addition, the planning and construction of key areas would be accelerated, giving each area a unique feature for future development. Work will start on the construction of 10 schools this year while 1 million square meters of school buildings will be reinforced to become earthquake resistant.

    Environmentally friendly production is expected to be promoted in 17 industries, involving 100 companies.

    The improvement of people’s livelihoods would be regarded with great importance by raising incomes, increasing employment, improving social security and building more government-subsidized housing. The city expects to offer 300,000 job vacancies and increase the monthly pension for company retirees by 13.2 percent to 1,767 yuan. Work would also start on the construction of 10,000 government-subsdized and 10,000 affordable apartments.

    The city’s cultural industry is also expected to move ahead this year.

    The city government has aspired to become more conscious of the law and service.(Li Hao, Yu Feng)