Lei Jiechang attends the fourth session of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. [Photo/Tide News]

Lei Jiechang, member of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of Jingning She autonomous county's civil affairs bureau, said during Zhejiang province's two sessions — the annual political gatherings where policy road maps for the coming year are crafted — that equal access to public services remains a challenge in remote mountainous regions.

Having worked in Jingning for a long time, she said that providing the same public services in such areas often costs twice as much due to dispersed populations and poor transportation, yet coverage and beneficiary numbers remain limited.

To address issues such as elderly care, where market forces are reluctant to operate, she cited the government work report's call to innovate the supply of basic public services, stressing that systematic integration of resources is key.

Jingning is now piloting cross-regional coordination to pool scattered public service resources, aiming to expand both coverage and accuracy.

Policy coordination is crucial, she added. While various departments have good policies, residents often have to visit multiple offices to access benefits. Lei proposed integrating policies to deliver services directly to residents, minimizing the need for them to travel to government offices.

Regarding idle resources in depopulating areas, she mentioned repurposing vacant school buildings into township elderly care hubs. Located in central areas, these transformed facilities can optimize service reach.

Lei also raised the issue of reallocating surplus teachers from consolidated rural schools to other public service fields.

In pursuit of common prosperity, she said that only through precise integration and coordinated efforts can mountainous counties bridge the last-mile gap and ensure stable, warm livelihoods for all residents.