ADB suggests rural spending rise

The Asian Development Bank chairman, Haruhiko Kuroda, has called on the Chinese government to increase spending on poor rural citizens, the Financial Times reported. Kuroda said China could provide farmers with free education, basic health care and a reasonable standard of living with a minimal fiscal outlay of US$12.5 billion a year. This would cover the expenses of the poorest 25 million Chinese, paying for nine years of school for 120 million children and basic health coverage for the 770 million inhabitants of the countryside, he said. �Given that fiscal revenues have increased by about RMB550 million [US$68.5 million] in the past two years, such an outlay is feasible and would go a long way to making growth more inclusive and equitable.�