e aid helps Tibet balance fiscal deficit

China's Tibet Autonomous Region balanced its fiscal deficit in 2007 with help from the central government, a regional official said.

Ding Yexian, the fiscal bureau director, said Tibet had ended its 15-year history of fiscal deficit last year, largely due to the support and help from the central government.

He said Tibet had 107 billion yuan (about 14.65 billion U.S. dollars) of total revenue over the past five years, 2.55 times that of what was recorded in the previous five years.

The central government provided Tibet with 100.5 billion yuan in various financial aid for the 2002-2007 period, 2.56 times that of the previous same period.

Central government aid had played a key role in promoting the social and economic development of Tibet, Ding said.

He noted the region has increased expenditure on developing education, science, health care, culture and environmental protection.