Potou district, Zhanjiang has made great achievements in its economic and social development in 2019, according to data from the sixth session of the Ninth Potou District People's Congress, which was held from June 2 to 4.

The general public budget revenue of Potou district in 2019 reached 540 million yuan ($75.87 million), while its tax revenue was 470 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.4 percent, ranking first in the city.

There were 27 key projects starting construction in the district in 2019, finishing a total investment of 6.55 billion yuan, up 83.7 percent year-on-year.

Potou district finished the upgrading and reconstruction of rural highways that totaled a length of 314 kilometers in 2019, as well as completed the construction of rural highways spanning 100.2 km. It also built 12 village-level private health stations in 2019 to support the development of specialized hospitals.

The ecological environment of Potou district has been improved in 2019. The district realized the full coverage of sewage treatment facilities. Renovation of the five pollution discharge outlets of rivers in the district has been basically completed. It also had an over 90 percent rate of days with excellent or good air quality in 2019.

Potou district has been devoted to its poverty alleviation works. In 2019, 7,526 impoverished people in the district's rural areas were included in the minimum subsistence guarantee system, while 1,927 poverty-stricken students were given education subsidies.

The district also finished the renovation of 21 dilapidated houses in its rural areas in 2019, as well as the construction of 35 houses for families that had no housing.

A total of 1,112 projects, including the potato plantation base in Qiantang town and the sea fishing base in Wuli village, were carried out in 2019 to promote the district's poverty alleviation efforts.

It is estimated that 10,664 impoverished people in Potou district were lifted out of poverty in 2019, accounting for more than 98 percent of the district's total poverty-stricken population, as well as five provincial-level impoverished villages.

New employment in Potou district in 2019 reached 10,570, while reemployment reached 3,522. The district also helped 3,119 impoverished people find jobs.

Preferential policies were released to stabilize the development of enterprises in Potou district after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

By the end of April, 23 key projects that are under construction in the district have resumed their work, as well as 68 industrial enterprises above designated size and nine building enterprises. An industrial enterprise above designated size refers to one with an annual sales revenue surpassing 20 million yuan.

In the first quarter of this year, the district's GDP reached 7.77 billion yuan, up 5.3 percent year-on-year. From January to April, the district's industrial added value above designated size was 6.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent, ranking second in the city.