Rural infrastructure construction urgently needs upgrading

At present, there are shortcomings in rural infrastructure construction

Infrastructure construction in rural areas has achieved remarkable results, but there is still a gap compared with urban infrastructure construction.  Statistics show that in the past five years, 1.275 million kilometers of rural roads have been built or rebuilt nationwide, and 99.24 percent of townships and 98.34 percent of incorporated villages have been connected to asphalt and cement roads. More than 250 million rural people have been provided with safe drinking water, and more than 90 percent of villages have been connected to broadband Internet. Despite this, rural infrastructure remains weak. For example, some farmland lacks effective irrigation facilities, and the overall level of agricultural mechanization needs to be improved. Agricultural products logistics facilities are relatively backward; Some villages do not have sewage and garbage treatment facilities, and the quality of rural living environment still needs to be improved.

The supply of rural infrastructure is too small in quantity and not high in quality, and has not yet effectively supported the development needs of strong agriculture, beautiful countryside and rich farmers. Rural infrastructure involves all aspects of rural economy, society, culture and so on. According to the nature of service, it can be divided into four categories: productive infrastructure, living infrastructure, humanistic infrastructure and circulation infrastructure. At present, the total supply of rural infrastructure is not small, but the contradiction of imbalance and insufficiency is still prominent. At the same time, some regions pay more attention to the construction of productive infrastructure such as rural roads and rural power grids, livelihood infrastructure and circulation infrastructure, and pay relatively little attention to the construction of humanistic infrastructure such as rural Internet popularization, so farmers' sense of happiness needs to be enhanced.

The management and protection mechanism of rural infrastructure is not perfect, and the long-term benefits of the project have not been well played. For a long time, there are many factors in the process of rural infrastructure construction, such as emphasizing construction and neglecting management, imperfect management and protection mechanism, and lack of effective supervision over the use of funds, which lack sufficient guarantee for the long-term operation and efficiency of rural infrastructure. Taking rural road construction as an example, some roads built in the early stage due to low standards, weak disaster resistance, safety facilities are not in place, and maintenance investment is seriously insufficient, and some places have appeared the phenomenon of "oil sand return", and the long-term benefits of the project have not been well played.

Policy proposals to promote the upgrading of rural infrastructure

We will promote infrastructure connectivity between urban and rural areas, guided by integrated urban and rural development. First, build a close mechanism for connecting urban and rural interests, promote the linkage of urban and rural infrastructure construction with a chess game, and make the infrastructure dividend a guarantee for the integrated development of urban and rural areas through joint construction and sharing. It is necessary to improve the initiative and enthusiasm of urban factors to participate in rural infrastructure construction, and build a reasonable dividend distribution mechanism for urban and rural infrastructure. The second is to focus on the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, accurately identify the shortcomings of rural infrastructure construction, accurately sort the supply categories of rural infrastructure, tilt financial resources to the shortcomings that urgently need to be made up, and achieve financial priority security. Third, adhere to the principle of integration but differentiation, and give priority to increasing the supply of infrastructure that meets the requirements of agricultural development, meets the needs of rural development, and meets the demands of farmers. Such as flood prevention equipment, water irrigation, field roads, meteorological facilities, agricultural machinery and equipment and other productive infrastructure and rural power grids, waste treatment plants, sewage treatment facilities, people and livestock drinking water facilities, heating gas facilities and other infrastructure construction.

We will fully protect the rights and interests of farmers and better meet the needs of farmers with higher quality supply. To promote the upgrading of rural infrastructure, the rights and interests of farmers should be fully protected, the supply of rural infrastructure should be avoided, and the quality and level of rural infrastructure supply should be effectively improved. The first is to smooth the expression of farmers' wishes and demands, identify and solve the most direct and realistic problems affecting farmers' interests in the process of rural infrastructure supply, explore the list of infrastructure supply needed by the villagers' group as the basic unit, and the villagers' congress determines the content and order of supply. The second is to effectively protect farmers' right of participation and supervision, guide farmers to participate in the whole process of rural infrastructure construction, so that every link is not missing, every decision is not lost, so that farmers' vital interests are more guaranteed. The third is to ensure that the benefits of rural infrastructure are shared by the majority of farmers, so that farmers' sense of gain is more substantial and sustainable. The fourth is to build a mechanism for farmers to fulfill their obligations, to ensure that farmers assume responsibilities that match their interests, and to participate in the management and protection of rural infrastructure.

We will strengthen efficient institutional supply and improve the institutional mechanisms for rural infrastructure. 

First, optimize the fund guarantee mechanism for rural infrastructure, on the premise of ensuring that fiscal funds give priority to rural infrastructure investment, encourage and guide more social capital to participate in rural infrastructure construction, give full play to the combined role of financial funds and social capital, and form a diversified investment mechanism with financial priority, financial priorities, and active social participation. The second is to design an institutional system to ensure the full participation of farmers, and ensure the supply of rural infrastructure by establishing the dominant position of farmers, such as the development of the main participation system of rural infrastructure supply, the composition system of supervision bodies, and the income distribution system. The third is to improve the management and operation mechanism of rural infrastructure, so that the system runs through the whole process of construction, management, maintenance and operation of rural infrastructure, and get rid of the disadvantages of emphasizing construction and neglecting management and operation and maintenance in the past.

Follow the idea of classification and overall planning, and promote the coordinated construction of rural infrastructure. First, accurately identify the differences between different types of rural infrastructure, according to the actual situation of rural infrastructure construction in various regions, clarify the priority supply order of different types of infrastructure construction, and promote it in an orderly manner. Second, solve the problem of weak productive infrastructure and livelihood infrastructure in different regions, focus on supplying irrigation facilities that restrict the large-scale operation of agriculture, improve the rural water conservancy infrastructure network, and lay a solid foundation for high-quality agricultural development and industrial prosperity. Promote the extension of urban public transport lines to the countryside; We will accelerate a new round of upgrading of rural power grids, improve rural energy infrastructure networks, and meet the needs of upgrading rural energy consumption. Third, solve the problem of inadequate cultural infrastructure and liquidity infrastructure to better meet the needs of farmers for a better life. Priority should be given to providing quality public services to farmers in infrastructure development, focusing on infrastructure development in culture, education, medical and health care, and Internet access. Build a backbone network of rural logistics facilities, and accelerate the realization of full coverage of rural logistics distribution outlets.

We will fully mobilize the enthusiasm of market players and improve the quality of rural infrastructure supply. To promote the upgrading of rural infrastructure, we should give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, better play the role of the government, form a diversified supply pattern, and ensure that the supply of rural infrastructure is transformed from insufficient to better. First, improve the benefit sharing mechanism, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of market players to invest in rural infrastructure, and accurately diagnose the shortcomings of rural infrastructure supply with the professional investment decisions of market players, so as to improve the efficiency of rural infrastructure supply. The second is to explore the establishment of a mechanism for the government to purchase rural infrastructure from market entities. 

Focusing on the upgrading of rural infrastructure, we will shift from direct government supply to indirect purchase from market players in a steady and orderly manner on a trial basis, and improve the efficiency of the use of fiscal funds. The third is to actively cultivate social service subjects of rural infrastructure. In terms of institutional mechanisms and policy systems, market subjects who know agriculture, understand rural areas and love farmers are encouraged to participate in the supply of rural infrastructure, and vigorously improve the marketization and social service level of rural infrastructure. For example, market players are encouraged to set up specialized cooperation organizations around different types of rural infrastructure to better supply rural infrastructure. The fourth is to vigorously develop third-party evaluation institutions to conduct independent and professional evaluation of the supply quality of market players, provide a scientific basis for the government's market-oriented purchase, and provide improvement directions for market players to improve the supply quality of rural infrastructure.

Strengthen the core position of grassroots Party organizations and provide political guarantee for upgrading rural infrastructure. First, grass-roots party organizations should pay attention to increasing investment in rural infrastructure, earnestly implement the Party's "three rural" work principles and policies, and take solid work and actively as escorts for the upgrading of rural infrastructure. The second is to actively exert the political mobilization advantages and service functions of grass-roots party organizations, comprehensively publicize the Party's "three rural" work principles and policies in the new era, form a pattern of participation of forces from all sectors of society in rural infrastructure construction, and improve the situation that rural infrastructure construction is not paid attention to. Third, the person in charge of the grass-roots party organization should improve the political position, with a high sense of responsibility, accurately diagnose the shortcomings of rural infrastructure, truly grasp the interests of farmers, and timely report to the party organization at the higher level to provide political guarantee for improving the system and mechanism, optimizing the policy system, and promoting the upgrading of rural infrastructure.