Energy firm springs back into action
Sinopec links up with Tibet Highland Natural Water to create crucial jobs
Bottled glacier water is creating crucial jobs and helping to alleviate poverty in the Tibet autonomous region.
Sales of Zhuoma Spring have reached 1.62 billion yuan ($241 million) in the past three years since Tibet Highland Natural Water Ltd linked up with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec.
Brand awareness started to increase after Zhuoma Spring piggybacked off Sinopec’s sales and logistics network.
“Taking advantage of the company’s vast sales channel, Sinopec has developed a unique poverty assistance model,” said Wang Yupu, chairman of Sinopec.
Tax revenues of 140 million yuan have helped ease poverty in the region and generate vital local jobs after Sinopec signed an agreement with Tibet Highland Natural Water in 2014 to establish the Zhuoma Spring brand.
Since then, 1.33 billion bottles of Zhuoma Spring have been sold, or 440,000 metric tons of drinking water, by June this year, according to a Sinopec white paper released earlier this month.
“Setting up a special industry like a glacier water brand to generate tax revenue and employment, while helping impoverished regions escape poverty, is the right approach,” Wang said.
Bangor county has seen its gross domestic product figure increase by more than 12 percent annually in the past three years since becoming part of the Sinopec project in Tibet.
In 2016, the region’s GDP level increased by 405.02 percent, while average income for herdsmen jumped by 419 percent, compared to 2002. “It’s more important to provide locals with the channels and conditions to achieve prosperity rather than direct donation,” Wang said.
Tibet has encouraged the region’s bottled water industry after rolling out a 10-year plan. By 2025, the target is to produce 10 million cubic meters of drinking water.
So far, the authorities have approved licenses for 31 companies in the sector.
“Sinopec aims to boost annual sales of Zhuoma Spring by up to 1 million tons to further support Tibet,” the company stated.
But then the energy juggernaut has also financed major projects in education, healthcare, infrastructure construction and training.
During the past 15 years, Sinopec has invested 341 million yuan in 135 projects in Tibet to help erase poverty in the region.
More than 75 million yuan has helped disadvantaged students, as well as restoration work at rundown schools.
The company has also financed free eye surgery for 872 cataract patients in the past 10 years.
“Sinopec has undertaken poverty alleviation and development tasks for 11 counties in seven provinces, including Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Gansu provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region,” the company’s white paper, drafted from 1988 to 2015, stated.