Major Phased Achievements Gained in 'Two Guarantees' ����This report is written by Our Staff Reporter Wang Yantian in the form of looking back to the past and forward to the future. ����The "two guarantees" mean conscientiously doing a good job of guaranteeing the basic subsistence and re-employment of laid-off workers from state-owned enterprises, and guaranteeing the timely issuance of full amount of pensions for enterprise retired workers. It was a major plan worked out last May by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. In the just over year of 1998, major phased achievements have been gained in this matter of paramount importance that concerns the stability and development of the state. The pre-set goal has been achieved by and large. ����Before last May, the overwhelming majority of laid-off workers were in a state of being unattended to, the basic subsistence of well over half of the laid-off workers was not guaranteed, the problem of defaults of payments of pensions to retirees generally existed to varying degrees in various localities. By last November, the proportion of layoffs entering the re-employment service centers had reached 99.2 percent, and the proportion of workers receiving basic living expenses had hit 93.7 percent. By last October, 99.5 percent of retirees had been issued timely and full pensions. ����The work of the "two guarantees" has effectively supported the deepening of the reform of state-owned enterprises and the strategic readjustment of the distribution of state-owned economic sectors. It has also laid a solid foundation for attaining the goal of reforming and relieving state-owned enterprises of poverty in three years and bringing about the rapid, steady and sound development of the national economy. ����Taking the "two guarantees" as an opportunity, China has further accelerated the pace of establishing a market employment mechanism, and has achieved significant development in the aspects of infrastructure construction, system innovation and mechanism cultivation relating to employment service, re-employment training and labor market. ����It should be noted that there still exist many difficulties and problems in our way ahead and in the process as we further deepen our work. These problems indicate that fulfilling these tasks and effectively solving these problems have become an extremely urgent and important work in doing a good job of the "two guarantees" at present and for a period of time to come in compliance with the requirements of the work program of the Party Central Committee and the actual needs for carrying out the work. ����This year, we will adopt measures to deal with specific issues, sum up experiences, reinforce confidence, and redouble our efforts to deepen the work of the "two guarantees". ���� HomeNews 1999-01-11 Page1