OREANDA-NEWS. April 28, 2012. Agricultural Bank of China Limited (ABC) released the 2011 Social Responsibility Report, which is the fifth one that ABC had publicized since 2007, reported the press-centre of ABC.

Last year, ABC continued to deepen its financial services for Sannong (agriculture, rural areas and farmers) and proactively expand its financial services to farmer households. As a result, the Kins Huinong Card of ABC has covered over 300 million farmers; agent services of new-type farmers' insurance and new rural cooperative medical care have extended to 1,205 counties throughout China; and new farmer-oriented loans have been launched such as government-subsidized guaranteed loans. In terms of support to industrialized agriculture, ABC has formulated and executed the Dragon Rising Program-Five-year Action Plan for 2011-2015, providing services to 73% and 52% of national and provincial industrialized agro-enterprises respectively.

To expand the coverage of basic financial services to rural areas, ABC expands its financial service network for Sannong through technological innovation. It has set up 25,000 self-service banking machines such as ATMs and CRS, 1.368 million transfer telephones and 201,000 POS terminals in rural areas of county level and below. It has also established 76,000 withdrawal service points, covering 38% of administrative villages nationwide, so that farmers could pay by card, withdraw and transfer without leaving the village. In 2011, ABC was selected as the "Best Sannong Service Bank" by the Gold Medal List for China Financial Institutions, and the Kins Huinong Card was granted the "Excellent Sannong Financial Service Award" by the China International Exhibition on Financial Banking Technology & Equipment.

In 2011, the Chinese Government strengthened and improved its macro-economic control. Against this backdrop, ABC prudently controlled the orientation, intensity and speed of granting loans, proactively supported the construction of national key areas and projects, and sustained China's industrial restructuring. It has supported over 600 strategic emerging industrial projects. Meanwhile, ABC further improved its overseas institution network and stretched its financial services to countries and areas where its customers run business. 

In 2011, ABC issued the Policies and Measures on Further Supporting Healthy Development of Small and Micro Enterprises to meet reasonable financing needs of small and micro enterprises, thereby supporting the development of real economy. More over, it continuously developed innovative financial products targeted at SMEs.

ABC intensified its financial services to people's livelihood field, and strongly supported the development of the cultural industry, education, public health care and government-subsidized housing. By the end of 2011, ABC had granted over RMB10,019 million, including RMB 6,405 million loans added in the year, to public rental housing, low-rent housing and shanty areas rebuilding projects.

ABC is proactively advocating and practicing low-carbon financial development strategy. It is committed to building environment-friendly, customer-oriented and economical "green banking", supporting "green credit" projects and strictly controlling loans to industries with high energy consumption, high pollution and over-capacity. It also strongly supports Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects and continues to develop financial consulting business for CDM.

ABC has always been actively participating in public welfare causes. In 2011, the ABC Head Office and branches carried out targeted aid-the-poor programs, donations and other charity activities. It also helped the post-disaster construction in the wake of the earthquakes in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province, and Yushu, Qinghai Province, and the debris flow in Zhouqu, Gansu Province with credit supports and donation.

Meanwhile, ABC has donated to build schools, bought teaching apparatus and stationery and financially assisted poor students for years. Reports show that ABC totally donated RMB25.72 million to help the poor and fund the education last year. The Poverty Alleviation and Development Office of ABC Head Office was honored as "National Outstanding Organization for Poverty Alleviation and Development" by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.