LHASA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Companies have helped over 82,000 poverty-stricken people in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as the region fights to eliminate absolute poverty, according to local authorities.

Tibet has launched a campaign this year to encourage local companies to pair with poverty-stricken villages to offer jobs, skill training or funds for local residents.

So far, 703 companies have participated in the campaign, helping over 1,000 local villages, according to the regional federation of industry and commerce.

The companies have spent a total of 2.32 billion yuan (around 333 million U.S. dollars) in various projects, the federation said.