High cost, urban-rural imbalance obstacles to Tibet´s future development: report

Source: Xinhua | 03-31-2009 14:19

BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- High development cost, the imbalance between rural and urban areas and a lack of talents are obstacles for Tibet's future development, said a report published Monday by the Beijing-based China Tibetology Research Center.

Graphics shows the comparison of Tibet's and national urban  and rural income levels in 2007 according to a comprehensive  report on Tibet's economic and social development published  by Beijing-based China Tibetology Research Center on March  30, 2009.(Xinhua/Meng Lijing)

Despite the achievements in economic, social and sustainable development over the past decades, the region in southwest China still faces many difficulties and challenges, said the report on Tibet's economic and social development.

Due to the remote and harsh geographic location, Tibet's overall price level was usually 50 percent higher than the national average, while the "economic development cost" was 70 percent higher, it said.

It means a commodity that costs one yuan (0.15 U.S. dollars) in the inland areas sells for more than 1.5 yuan in Tibet, and a matter that costs one yuan to solve requires more than 1.7 yuan in Tibet.