Break down the welfare barriers for farmers to settle in cities

A reporter from Xinhua Viewpoint recently went to Anhui, Sichuan, Hubei, and other places to investigate and found that most pilot small and medium-sized cities have fully liberalized their farmers to settle in cities, but before the "zero threshold," farmers were generally not willing to settle down, with only more than 200 farmers in some counties turning to non-farmers in 2015. The reason why farmers are reluctant to settle in cities has its rational consideration.

First of all, with the development of the market economy in recent years, many benefits attached to the hukou have been gradually watered down or even cancelled, and the gap between the rural hukou and the non-agricultural hukou is no longer as large as it was in the 1970s and 1980s. the attractiveness for farmers is weakening.

Secondly, farmers have concerns about urban social security. If the hukou is transferred to the city, can old-age care be guaranteed? Can employment be solved? What about the housing problem? These problems are affecting the choice of farmers.

Third, there are still doubts about how to deal with the "three rights" of land contractual management right, homestead use right and collective income distribution right after entering the city. Land is the "protective treasure" of farmers, and houses are the main property of farmers. as it is not clear how to dispose of these assets left in rural areas after settling in cities, many farmers would rather abandon their land and vacant agricultural houses and run between urban and rural areas. rather than move the hukou out of the countryside.

If we want to let farmers settle in cities actively, we should first really break the barriers of household registration, so that farmers can enjoy more welfare benefits in the city. In addition, we should gradually explore the establishment of rural contracted land, homestead withdrawal mechanism, invigorate rural land assets, so that farmers and land "decoupling". Only when it is realized into property income through formal channels can farmers consider giving up their rural hukou and settle in cities voluntarily.