Mayor outlines city's social policies for 2020

Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong laid out major social policy goals for 2020 in an address to the Shanghai People’s Congress’ annual session, which opened on Wednesday.

Ying said his government aims to make social governance more effective by further integrating urban management on all levels, raising people’s living standards, shifting the focus of infrastructure construction and allocating more public resources toward the suburbs.

This year, the government aims to move another 100 kilometers of overhead cables underground and install multifunctional traffic light poles along the way.

Efforts will be taken to improve traffic at 50 congested intersections this year, building on last year’s 56.

In terms of garbage sorting, Ying said new efforts will be focused mainly on more effective approaches by institutions and residential communities, faster integration of waste collection and recycling, and better utilization of recycled waste.

The government will further promote community-based elderly care, improve home-based care services and combine medial care with senior-care resources.

Ying said 50 more comprehensive elderly care centers, 200 more dining stations and 7,000 more beds in elderly care homes will be added this year, with 2,000 beds for seniors with cognitive impairment upgraded.

He added that the government will step up the training of elder care personnel.

The government will also continue to improve housing conditions for residents.

This year, the government aims to complete the renovation of 550,000 square meters of dilapidated housing in central districts and benefit 28,000 households.

In rural Shanghai, village renewal is expected to benefit 60,000 households this year, and 35,000 rural households will have domestic sewage treatment facilities retrofitted, Ying said.