CHANGSHA — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged local governments to press on without let-up in reducing poverty, to ensure related goals are met on time.

Hu, also chief of the State Council’s leading group of poverty alleviation and development, made the remarks on June 28 during an inspection of poverty reduction work in some poor areas in Central China’s Hunan province.

He said the anti-poverty campaign has entered a critical period and all measures should be implemented without any slack.

Enhanced efforts should be made in areas including local education, drinking water safety and renovation of dilapidated houses, Hu said.

Local industrial development should be strengthened by expanding industry and service sectors in poor rural areas, he added.