According to the regional development policy of the Workers’ Party of Korea, regional-industry factories are being built in 20 cities and counties every year and the drive for developing the regional economy simultaneously and in a balanced way is gaining momentum.

A nationwide undertaking of training technicians and skilled workers needed for the operation of regional-industry factories is progressing apace.

Even though new factories are built excellently, they cannot steadily develop and sustainably produce goods that are favoured by the people and representative of their localities unless the technical forces for operating them are prepared.

According to a skilled worker training programme, the trainees acquire a wide range of knowledge and techniques needed for the normal operation of regional-industry factories, improvement of product quality and skilful handling of equipment and then improve their skills at light industry factories in Pyongyang and other areas.

Over the past two years, thousands of workers from regional-industry factories in 40 cities and counties received technical training to become skilled workers.

Meanwhile, efforts are also directed to creating raw materials bases in a far-sighted way and increasing their per-hectare yields.

The supply of raw materials is a prerequisite for production.

Cities and counties are acquiring forests of economic value like those for oil and wild fruit production, planting high-yielding species and manuring and tending them well to provide the regional-industry factories with sufficient raw materials needed for putting production on a normal footing.

The units in charge of supplying raw materials are increasing the per-hectare yields by raising a strong wind of scientific farming as they improve soil fertility, obtain seeds of raw-material crops suited to the climatic and soil conditions of their localities and introduce advanced cultivation methods on a wide scale.

The improvement of the quality of products made by regional-industry factories is being pushed ahead as an important undertaking.

The show of products of regional-industry factories in 20 cities and counties held in Pyongyang last year served as an important occasion in increasing the enthusiasm for the improvement of product quality. Through the show which brought together hundreds of products in dozens of kinds, the producers boosted their sense of emulation for improving the quality of products while exchanging experience achieved in their efforts for ensuring quality.

Many products of city and county regional-industry factories were highly appreciated at the light industrial goods exhibition “Development of Light Industry-2025” and the national foodstuff exhibitions held last year and this year amid the public interest and expectations.

The regional industry is constantly developing to improve the people’s material and cultural living standards by tapping regional raw material resources.