The Municipal Association of Industry and Commerce and private enterprises have been active in the construction of new countryside and have donated nearly 100 million RMB. Over the past seven years, the money donated has beneficiated different projects: infrastructure construction, educational and medical services and supported industries.

　　According to the Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, in 2012, the total number of small and medium-sized enterprises reached 19,571, of which 548 enterprises’ output value is over 100 million RMB, with a net increase of 81 enterprises on a year- on –year base. The private economy has been booming both in quantity and quality.

　　Private entrepreneurs are now active participators in the construction of new countryside after they developed rapidly. From 2006 until the end of last year, in the activity of “Private Enterprises Supporting Villages” , proposed by Municipal  United Front Department of Party Central Committee and Municipal Association of Industry and Commerce, 608 private enterprises connected with 608 administrative villages in succession and sponsored 78 million RMB to carry out 518 projects, including helping them build base and industry, improving rural infrastructure and medical and health conditions and helping farmers self-employed. More than 11 thousand households have benefited from these measures.

　　In March and December of last year, numerous private entrepreneurs took an active part in a provincial program called “Sanwan”, which aimed at supporting the construction of new countryside in Yichang. In the construction project of water conservancy facilities called “Digging Ten-thousand Pools”, 215 private enterprises donated to help the construction and dredge of 756 small water conservancy facilities. In the public sanitation project called “Cleansing Ten-thousand Houses”, 162 private enterprises supported 23 projects with a donation of 16.07 million RMB to help overcome the difficulties in paving roads, constructing landfills as well as getting purified drinking water.

　　The Changling Village in Maoping Town of Zigui County is a protected area of water supply. Before the public sanitation project, the villagers dumped their garbage everywhere, which was brought to the downstream by the rain, resulting in the difficulties of getting clean drinking water for 5 villages there. Now, 2 large-scale landfills, 7 garbage cans, 3 garbage trucks and a cleaner are equipped for the villagers to dispose garbage properly. Thus, the bad dumping habit has been put right.

　　(Reporter Zhang Liang, Chen Lu; Correspondent Luo Zhengguo)