FOCUSING on the topic of building a high-quality model district, Gao Shengyuan, chief of Futian District Government, recently appeared on a radio program to talk about the latest developments in the district while listening to the public’s opinions and responding to their concerns. In the first three quarters of 2018, Futian’s GDP reached 306.59 billion yuan (US$44.86 billion), an increase of 7.5 percent over the same period last year, Gao mentioned on the program. The district’s general public revenue totaled 14.31 billion yuan, up 15.2 percent, and total tax revenue amounted to 146.26 billion yuan, an increase of 20.6 percent. The development of the financial industry has withstood downward pressure, with an added value of 100.62 billion yuan in the first three quarters, accounting for 32.8 percent of the district’s GDP. Meanwhile, Futian’s position as the city’s financial center has been further strengthened. The added value of the tertiary industry reached 287.57 billion yuan, accounting for 93.8 percent of the district’s GDP. And the added value of the high-tech industry hit 33 billion yuan, an increase of more than 10 percent year on year. The number of intellectual property agencies in the district grew to 66, accounting for 44.9 percent of the city’s total. According to Gao, Futian has also been constantly stepping up its efforts to improve the people’s livelihood. In the first three quarters, the district’s public budget expenditure was 21.12 billion yuan, of which livelihood project expenditure amounted to more than 16 billion yuan, or 80 percent of the total. In terms of education, Gao revealed that the district plans to build four new schools and rebuild 14 existing schools to accommodate more students. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, 10 new schools will be built and 28 schools will be renovated and expanded. At the same time, Futian has been introducing various types of medical talents and improving the facilities at the district’s hospitals over the past three years. With the establishment of new hospitals and the renovations of some hospitals, more than 3,000 beds will be added in the district. Nursing homes have also been upgraded to provide better services for the elderly. In addition to economic development, a high-quality living environment is also crucial for creating a happy Futian. In the past three years, Futian has invested more than 5 billion yuan in the treatment of polluted rivers in the district, said Gao. Additionally, Futian has spent nearly 2 billion yuan on carrying out comprehensive renovation and upgrading projects in 15 urban villages in the district. The new city parks and community parks have become new favorite leisure areas for residents, and the number of parks in Futian has reached 121. During a Q&A section, Gao also answered a number of the questions that concern citizens the most. Regarding public housing and soaring rent, Gao said the government will strictly control rental prices and will cooperate with housing agencies to upgrade housing quality.(Zhang Yu) | 