Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a special central budget investment plan for urban underground pipe networks and facilities. 52 underground pipe network engineering projects in Guangdong received 2.759 billion yuan in funding support. It is understood that this amount ranks ** in the country.
　　Since the beginning of this year, the state and the province have intensively issued a series of favorable policies on the construction of underground pipe networks and utility tunnels. The Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have maintained a high degree of policy sensitivity, treating urban underground pipe network construction as a key task, proactively planning and coordinating its advancement. In March and April, they jointly issued work notices twice to deploy in advance and organize cities to do a good job in planning and reserving underground pipe network facility construction and renovation projects, guiding the planning and reservation of "one tunnel and four pipes" (integrated utility tunnels and gas, water supply, rainwater, and sewage) construction and renovation projects, compiling unified urban implementation plans, accelerating the preliminary work of projects, and making preparations for striving for central policies, thus winning valuable time for cities to apply for central funds.
　　The Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have maintained close communication with the Provincial Department of Finance and cities, actively requested instructions and reported to the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, kept abreast of policy information and developments, and immediately upon the issuance of the national fund application notice organized the competent departments of gas, drainage, water supply, utility tunnel and other industries in cities to proactively coordinate with development and reform departments at the same level, guiding them to prepare application materials as required. They coordinated project review, importance ranking, project submission and other work, deeply explored important projects with mature preliminary work and urgent necessity, and according to requirements submitted a total of 247 high-quality projects to the state, applying for 8 billion yuan in funds. Ultimately, 52 underground pipe network engineering projects received 2.759 billion yuan in central budget investment for 2024.
　　The Guangdong Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development held a provincial training class on urban underground utility tunnels, inviting leaders from the provincial development and reform and finance departments and relevant experts to provide guidance and explanations to competent industry departments in various localities on knowledge including central budget investment, ultra-long-term special government bonds, special bonds and other various funding support policies, project planning and reservation, funding application channels and key process points, guiding localities to grasp the national ** policy funding directions and application requirements, accurately plan and apply for projects, and enable more projects to squeeze into the "cages" of national, provincial and municipal plans and the "plates" of funds. A sound rolling project planning mechanism has been established and improved, forming a virtuous cycle of "planning a batch, reserving a batch, starting construction on a batch, and building a batch," ensuring a continuous stream of high-quality new projects and laying a solid foundation for striving for support from various key funds.
　　Next, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will urge localities to implement the central budget investment fund plan and strengthen project supervision, guide the acceleration of project construction progress, form more physical work volume as soon as possible, standardize the use of funds, strengthen performance management, and continuously improve urban safety and resilience, ensuring that central budget funds play their due social and economic benefits.