Guangdong: At least 20% of Provincial Town-Assisting Funds to Be Used for Rural Domestic Sewage Treatment

Recently, the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People's Congress of Guangdong Province listened to a report from the People's Government of Guangdong Province on the treatment of rural domestic sewage.

The report pointed out that the treatment of rural domestic sewage and the remediation of black and odorous water bodies in Guangdong Province are important parts of the "High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns and Tens of Thousands of Villages". Since the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan", Guangdong Province has included the treatment of rural domestic sewage in the province's ten major livelihood issues for three consecutive years, and the remediation of black and odorous water bodies in rural areas in the province's ten major livelihood issues of 2022, and has made great efforts to promote them with multiple measures.

Through the joint efforts of all parties, Guangdong Province has achieved positive results in the treatment of rural domestic sewage. According to national preliminary verification, Guangdong Province's rural domestic sewage treatment rate reached 53.4% in 2022, ranking seventh in the country; as of the end of October this year, 800 of the 1000 natural villages included in this year's livelihood issue of domestic sewage treatment enhancement have been completed (expected to be completed by the end of the year), and the province's natural village domestic sewage treatment rate has increased to more than 58%. By the end of 2022, 107 black and odorous water bodies above the provincial level in rural areas have been remediated, completing 38.7% of the national targets assigned during the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan". An additional 67 water bodies were completed in 2023, representing a completion rate of 78.8% against the annual target, the problem of random discharge of rural domestic sewage has been basically solved, and the quality of rural residential environment has been effectively improved.

Since 2019, emphasis has been placed on promoting the construction of the rural domestic sewage treatment system and conducting in-depth inspections and research. Each municipality has optimized the formulation of the city-level hard-battle action plan, scientifically planned the "one village, one policy" for the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" and annual rural domestic sewage treatment tasks, basically achieved full coverage of the special planning and facility operation and management methods (plans) for rural domestic sewage treatment in counties (cities, districts) related to agriculture. The proportion of construction facility mode, inclusion in urban sewage treatment plant mode, and resource utilization mode in the completed natural villages is approximately 5:2:3.

The provincial finance department has made supporting rural domestic sewage treatment a key area of policy safeguard with coordinated support from agricultural funds, and has explicitly stipulated that, in principle, no less than 20% of the provincial town-assisting funds will be used for rural domestic sewage treatment in 2023. At the same time, it has actively encouraged each city to apply for special municipal bonds and have strived to secure loans from policy, developmental financial institutions and social capital through EOD mode, among other means, in order to widen the channels for fundraising.

In the next step, Guangdong Province will adopt even more scientifically precise methods to exclusively promote the treatment of rural domestic sewage, continuously improving the rural ecological environment, enhancing the quality of life for the masses, and promoting the welfare of the people.

For example, Guangdong Province will ensure that more than 1,000 new natural villages will complete the upgrade of sewage treatment system this year, with a treatment rate reaching over 60%. It also plans to complete the remediation of more than 30 large-scale rural black and odorous water bodies. The province will conduct research and inspections and come out with a 2024-2025 rural domestic sewage treatment action plan, further propose measures around optimal goals, strive to innovate, safeguard elements etc., prioritise the utilization of resources and the application of non-powered and micro-powered treatment processes, and speed up the rectification of historical problems.

At the same time, Guangdong Province will continue to use the fiscal measurements as a base, include the treatment of rural domestic sewage in the major events requiring agricultural fund policy safeguard , and urge each region to strictly implement the policy that no less than 20% of the provincial town-assisting funds should be used to support the treatment of rural domestic sewage. It will instruct all regions to plan and reserve projects for central and provincial funds, and strengthen fund management. The province will aim to utilise policy-based financial tools, guide city and county innovation in investment and financing models, and actively apply for special bonds.

Source: http://czt.gd.gov.cn/mtgz/content/post_4290800.html