SPECIAL REPORT:http://www2.china-sd.com/zt/2007/20071026/

the Press Conference on Shandong Province’s Economic Operating Situation in the First Three Seasons of this Year

Zhang Dekuan,Deputy Secretary-General of Shandong Provincial People’s Government,Spokesman of Shandong Provincial People’s Government

Zhang Dekuan:Good morning, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen.

Zhang Dekuan:GIn the first three seasons this year, our province’s economy kept on developing well and rapidly. Today, we hold a Provincial Government press conference and invite Mr. Du Changzuo, director of the Provincial Statistical Bureau, to give a briefing on our province’s economic operating situation in the first three seasons and answer the questions from the journalists.

Zhang Dekuan:GPresent at the conference are journalists from Shandong branches of the central media and of Hong Kong media, from the provincial media, and from the major media in Jinan.

Zhang Dekuan:GFirst, we will have Mr, Du Changzuo, director of the Provincial Statistical Bureau, give a briefing on our province’s economic operating situation in the first three seasons.

Du Changzuo, director of the Provincial Statistical Bureau

Du Changzuo:According to the preliminary assessment by the State Statistical Bureau, the whole province realized a gross output value of 1.85628 trillion yuan in the first three seasons this year, an increased by 14.6% in terms of comparable price. Of the value, the primary industry increased 167.68 billion yuan, an increase of 3.5%; and the second industry increased 1.07389 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.4%. The industrial added value is 981.1 billion yuan, an increase of 16.8%, which is the main driving force to pull economic growth. The tertiary industry increased 614.72 billion yuan , an increase of 14.5%. The main characteristics are as follows.

Du Changzuo:First, the rural economy develops stably. The gross output value of farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery realized a gross output value of 300.6 billion yuan, an increase of 3.6% in terms of comparable price. This is the fifth year for grain production to achieve a good harvest, though the sown area has decreased somehow.

Du Changzuo:Second, industrial production grew smoothly. In the first three seasons, above-scale industries realized an added value of 978.21 billion yuan, an increase of 21.2%, of which, the added value of light industry is 334.04 billion yuan, an increase of 19.3% and the added value of the heavy industry is 644.17 billion yuan, an increase of 22.2%. The manufacturing industry is the main power to pull the industry growth. The non-public industry increased its vitality and the hi-tech industry developed rapidly. Production and marketing coordinated well with a ratio of 98.2%.

Du Changzuo:Third, the investment structure tended to be optimized. In the first three seasons, the whole society completed a total fixed assets investment of 966.32 billion yuan, an increase of 24.7%, of which, cities and towns completed 784.45 billion yuan, an increase of 24.2 %, which shows that the growth rate fell by 4.5 and 7.6 percentage points respectively as against that of the last year. The growth rate is similar to that of the first half of this year and increased 2.1 percentage points as against that of the first season.

Du Changzuo:Fourth, the market for consumption goods maintained the tendency of prosperity. Since the beginning of this year, the total retail sales of consumption goods of our province have kept on developing at a high speech. Since May, the comparative monthly increase has surpassed 17% and, in September, the comparative increase reached 18.2%, while the accumulated increase of the first three seasons is 17.4%, which shows an obvious accelerating momentum.

Du Changzuo:Fifth, foreign trade kept developing rapidly. In the first three seasons, the total value of import and export reached 87.94 billion dollars, an increase of 26.3%, and an comparative increase of 1.5 percentage points, of which the total value of export is 53.43 billon dollars, a growth of 27.1% and the total value of import is 34.52 billion dollars, a growth of 25.2%, and a comparative increase of 1.5 percentage points.

Du Changzuo:Sixth, the quality of economic operation improved constantly. In the first three seasons, industrial economic benefit was continuously improved, above-scale industries realized a business income of 3666.9 billion yuan, an increase of 30.8%, realized a profit of 257.59 billion yuan, an increase of 31.1% , and realized a pre-tax profit of 406.59 billion yuan, an increase of 28.3%.

Du Changzuo:Seventh, finance operated steadily. By the end of September, various deposits in the province’s financial institutions were 2209.94 billion yuan, an increase of 246.71 billion yuan as against that of the beginning of this year and a comparative increase of 10.41 billion yuan. What’s more, enterprises’ deposits increased by 36.84 billion yuan as against that of the same period of last year.

Du Changzuo:Eighth, great positive effect was achieved in terms of energy conservation and pollution reduction. In the first half of this year, the energy consumption per ten thousand yuan GDP decreased to the equivalent of 1.2 tons of coal, which is a decrease of 2.38% as against 2006. The energy consumption per ten thousand yuan added value by above-scale industries is equivalent to 1.9 tons of coal, which is a decrease of 5.94% as against that of 2006. The emission of sulfur dioxide was reduced to 9.53 tons, a decrease of 2.72% as against that of last year.

Du Changzuo:Ninth, the consumer price increased structurally. Compared with the same period of last year, the monthly consumer price increased respectively by 1.8%, 2.7%, 3.0%, 2.7%, 3.3%, 4.3%, 5.3%, 6.2% and 5.6%. Besides, the accumulated increase in the first three seasons is 3.9%, a comparative increase of 3.1 percentage points. The steep rise of food price is the main factor to push upward the consumer price.

Du Changzuo:The above are the nine characteristics of our province’s economic operating situation in the first three seasons this year. At present, the whole province is actively implementing the spirit of the Party’s seventeenth congress, applying the working guidance to the development practice, changing the development modes and improving the development quality so as to solve the contradictions and problems in the process of economic operation and promote the scientific and rapid development of the whole province’s economy.

Zhang Dekuan:Today’s press conference is over. Thank you!