A medal manufacturing plant is under construction in Changle town, Haimen district, Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: haimendianshitai]

In the first half of this year, Changle town in Haimen district, Nantong has achieved 71.6 percent of its annual goal for its general public budget revenue, with the amount of 170 million yuan ($24.63 million) being up 18.2 percent year-on-year, according to local media reports.

Both the amount and growth rate ranked first among towns in the district.

The town is home to more than 170 industrial companies and over 110 service businesses. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the local government has rolled out efforts to prevent and control the disease, while ensuring stable economic growth.

A series of preferential policies in areas like recruitment, legal consultation, anti-epidemic supplies and raw materials have been offered to local companies to help them resume operations.

The town has held five 'matching conferences' between companies and local banks, solving financial problems for more than 20 businesses.

According to Cai Xiangzhong, deputy chief of the town, the local rural commercial bank alone has issued 50 million yuan of loans with low interest rates, reducing companies' costs by nearly 900,000 yuan.

A special team was established, made up of 28 government officials and business representatives. They visited targeted companies every two weeks to learn about their situations and provide timely help.

Under the guidance of the local government, International Plastic Engineering Co, a high-end food packing film provider, has seen a surge in orders, which resulted in a shortage of workers and warehouses.

Cailearned of the problems during his regular inspection tour and spared a 2,000-square-meter space for the company to store its goods. The town's Party committee also contacted Mianxian county in Shaanxi province to recruit over 10 new workers for the company.

During the first half of this year, the company’s taxable sales revenues rose 111.6 percent year-on-year to 73.51 million yuan, setting a record high.