Hohhot woos migrants home to start businesses

Hohhot is encouraging migrant workers to return home and start their own businesses amid efforts to spur rural development.

The government has unveiled new polices to support migrant workers' businesses, and some of the policies have been piloted in Togtoh county before being rolled out citywide.

An entrepreneurial culture is now developing rapidly in the county thanks to the government's strong support in vocational training, consultation and financing.

Sun Fuzhen is a migrant worker who started planting counter-season vegetables after returning home in 2014. His greenhouses see nearly 2,000 visitors every day during peak season.

The government might provide up to 50 percent of start-up costs, while also offering technical training, he said.

“We hope that the return of migrant workers will help generate more local jobs and ultimately invigorate rural development,” said Dong Zhiyuan, director at the employment service center in the county.

Togtoh county has also taken full advantage of its rich natural resources to build five incubators focused on tourism and agriculture to facilitate more than 960 migrant workers' start-up businesses.

A total of 4,091 workers have returned to their hometowns to start their own businesses in Hohhot, and these workers provide jobs for 18,586 people, according to the city's employment service center.

The government of Hohhot will continue to take measures to encourage business start-ups in rural areas, including improving the business environment and working out preferential financial and taxation policies.