Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 12 (Reporter Liu Shiping) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources on the 12th that in the first four months of this year, China completed a total investment of 195.8 billion yuan in water conservancy construction, an increase of 45.5% over the same period last year.

Wei Shanzhong, Vice Minister of Water Resources, said at the Chamber of Commerce, which presided over the special dispatch meeting to promote the construction of major water conservancy projects in 2022, that the construction of major water conservancy projects should be accelerated to ensure that more than 30 new projects will be started in 2022.

It is understood that the goal of water conservancy construction set by the Ministry of Water Resources this year is to start 30 new major water conservancy projects and complete 800 billion yuan of water conservancy construction investment.

'It is difficult to advance the preliminary work of major water conservancy projects, and the pressure to raise funds for water conservancy construction is great.' The relevant person in charge of the Planning Department of the Ministry of Water Resources said that the preliminary demonstration of major water conservancy projects is complicated, and it is necessary to go through land pre-examination, planning and site selection, resettlement planning, and project environmental assessment, which involves many departments and is difficult to advance. At the same time, water conservancy projects have strong public welfare and weak market-oriented financing ability, which has long been dominated by financial input.

In view of these difficulties, the water conservancy department has established a daily communication and consultation mechanism with relevant departments to consult on issues related to the preliminary work of the project; While actively striving to increase the central government's financial input, we should broaden investment channels and find ways to increase investment from local government special bonds, financial funds and social capital.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Water Resources, in the first four months of this year, nine major water conservancy projects were started in China. The preliminary work of Guangdong Water Resources Allocation Project around Beibu Gulf with a total investment of 61.8 billion yuan and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project with a total investment of 59.8 billion yuan is progressing smoothly.

At the same time, statistics show that in the first four months of this year, 72 billion yuan of local government bonds were implemented in water conservancy projects, an increase of 115% over the same period of last year.

Wei Shanzhong emphasized that it is of great significance to strengthen the construction of water conservancy infrastructure in an all-round way, and water conservancy departments at all levels should speed up the related work according to the schedule of the preliminary work of the project and the requirements of the start-up time node. Implement the construction funds in advance, make all the preparations before construction, and start construction as soon as possible after the conditions are met.