The Darze Industrial Park of Tibet[Photo/China Tibet Online]

After the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 on April 6, a roundtable discussion among private sector entrepreneurs and economists from across the country was held to review the latest development, challenges and solutions of non-public economy that lay ahead.
Though far apart between Tibet and Boao，entrepreneurs in the non-public sector of Tibet has been shown great interest in the forum , especially the development trend of the private businesses.

The Darze County in the middle of the Tibet Autonomous Region has become a base of Tibet's private enterprises，which completed its transformation from agriculture and animal husbandry-oriented economy to industry-oriented economy in 2011. Up to now, 125 enterprises have opened businesses in the base including eight cultural enterprises such as Tibet Tuobai Ancient Incense Production Ltd. and Tibet Luozhan Ethnic Handicraft Development Co., Ltd.

"Although none of the enterprises in our Industrial Park attended the Boao Forum this time, we kept track of the Forum on Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises held in January this year through the Internet concerning many problems such as work contracts and industrial innovation, which were also faced by us,"said head of the Administrative Committee of the Park.

Darze was a typical small county based on agriculture and animal husbandry back in 2002. In September，the Darze Industrial Park was established by taking advantage of its location as the "East Gate to Lhasa" and rich livestock resources. Over the past ten years，a new, robust and modernized industrial zone has taken shape from a wasteland. In November 2011, the Darze Industrial Park was upgraded as the regional-level industrial zone set up by Tibet itself. And it has become a stable and main source of fiscal revenue of the Darze County government.

"We pooled the resources of comparative advantage to nurture new industries based on ethnic Tibetan culture, introduce distinctive tourist products and establish a large-scale Tibetan cultural market to enhance the competitiveness of the distinctive industry,”said head of the industrial park.

During the 12th Five-year Plan period(2011-2015), the Darze Industrial Park will focus on an overall expansion of the market, accelerating the expansion of the scope, strengthening its efforts to introduce more enterprises to open businesses in the park in order to promote the industrial development integrated culture with tourism and commerce. I It is expected that by the end of 2020, the cultural industry will become the pillar industry with the value added to reach 20 percent of the GDP of the county.

The processing line of the Tibet Zangyuan Barley Beer Co.,Ltd[Photo/China Tibet Online]

The Tibet Zangyuan Barley Beer Co.,Ltd was the first enterprise who opened business in the Darze Industrial Park. With the total staff of 240 and 85 percent of them being farmers and herders，it is a leading and comprehensive enterprise engaged in highland barley planting，research and development，deep processing，sales，fodder production and distinctive cash crop planting and livestock breeding.

The company adopts the industrialized mode connecting management, science and technology, through which it signed contracts with farmers about planting on the 20,000-mu-barley-planting base and purchasing of the products, and adjusting the industrial mix of agriculture to develop distinctive Tibetan industries.

"The Boao Asia Forum serves as a good platform for exchanges between small and medium-sized enterprises. We hope that we can find a better way of management and promote our distinctive Tibetan products to the bigger market. And we hope people all the world can drink Tibetan barley wine,"said Guan Xinfei，chairman of the Board of Directors.

Over the years, Tibet's non-public economy has become the backbone of the overall regional economy. By the end of September 2012, the registered capital of Tibet’s non-public economy has amounted to 41.93billion yuan with 533,700 million employees. In the meanwhile, the taxes paid reached 10.5 billion yuan, taking up 94 percent of the total taxes of Tibet.

Nyima Tashi, chairman of Tibet Hongji Group, Ltd and Vice Chairman of Tibet Industrial and Commercial Federation said that the non-public economy takes up an important part of Tibet’s economy with huge potential for development.

"We should be more open for non-public investment and make up our mind to break through the systematic obstacle in the way of its development,” said he. “The Boao Forum has provided us with a platform for dialogue between the government, enterprises and academians on industry and commerce, social and environmental issues."

The Roundtable Meeting for non-public sector specially set up at this forum helped us set up the Dialogue between the government and the business sector, he added.

"I believe the Boao Forum can set up a special bridge for communication to seek common development,"he said.

In 2011, the Tibet regional government put forward the policy of promoting the leapfrog development of the non-public economy. Such measures as low threshold, zero registration fee, light taxes, strong government support, less supervision and strong incentive were adopted in 2011 for the orientation of development of the non-public sector in Tibet.

During the "National Private Entrepreneurs'Tour to Lhasa Campaign", over 300 business people from all over the country attended it to promote the huge progress of Lhasa. Noted private business people from 18 provinces and cities signed up 29 contracts with the total volume of investment of 32.2 billion yuan in areas of tourism and culture, biological industry, energy industry and handicrafts, which enjoy comparable advantage in Tibet’s economy. In 2012, the non –public economy has achieved a rapid development thanks to the favorable policy and advantage of natural resources.

It is hoped that products of Tibet’s non-public enterprises will be able to access the market of other parts of China and the world at large, according to Tibet Industry and Commercial Federation.

In China's policy promulgated at the CPC's 18th National Congress, the economy in non-public sector will be encouraged, supported and properly guided in order to ensure all non-public economic forms to access means of production, participate in the market competition on an equal footing, which will be protected by law.

According to the 2012 data, in China there are 10.12 million non-public sector entrepreneurs, 37.56 million private businesses and nearly 200 million private businessmen. And the value added of the non-public sector economy accounted for over 60 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and created nearly 90 percent of new job opportunities.