Four departments including the General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC") have recently issued the Circular on Supporting the Network Projects Aimed at Poverty Alleviation (the "Circular").
The Circular reads that support will mainly go to projects for expanding the network coverage, deepening industry-based poverty relief, solidly advancing rural e-commerce development and boosting agriculture-related services. Among others, the Circular urges support for the application of internet, big data, internet of things and artificial intelligence in agricultural and rural production and operation management, and facilitation of the in-depth integration of new generation information technologies and rural production and life, processing of agricultural products, manufacturing of agricultural equipment, and distinctive agriculture. E-commerce enterprises will be supported in widening, by various means, the channels to sell agricultural products produced in the impoverished region. Moreover, the Circular provides further clarity on the project recommendation procedures, including the joint recommendation of projects, the joint reviews by experts and the independent examination of claimed loans by banks. Requirements for relevant work are also set out.