by Gilles Campion

LHASA, June 4 (AFP) - More than 300,000 Tibetans still live below the poverty line, living on less than 78 dollars a year per head, untouched by the billions of dollars China has poured into the region over nearly five decades.

Tsereng, assistant director in the economic commission of what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region, said without Beijing'said, Tibet would be floundering, subsisting on yaks and goats.

The Chinese army took the vast Himalayan region, which now has a 2.39 million residents, in 1950.

"Last year, Beijing invested four billion yuan (482 million dollars) in infrastructure building and granted three billion dollars as subsidy," said 48-year-old official, adding that in the recent past, China injected six billion yuan a year.

"But a lot remains to be done to end the isolation of the 18 counties where more than 300,000 people live on less than 650 yuan (78 dollars) a year," Tsereng said

China is paying dearly for the thousands of officials, employees and workers government figures say 100,000, but many more according to Tibetan exiles as well as the undisclosed number of troops sent to Tibet.

They have to be paid special allowances in view of the harsh, oxygen-scarce climate and an additional 10 percent in salary to make up for the high cost of living.

Lhasa is 3,600 metres (11,880 feet) above sea level and some Tibetan towns are situated at 4,000 metres and even 5,000 metres altitude.

"Without Beijing's help, Tibet would not be able to pursue development because its revenues drawn solely from taxes amount to a mere 200 million yuan (24 million dollars) a year," Tsereng said

Last year, Tibet's gross national product was 6.45 billion yuan (777 million dollars). Industry accounted for one billion yuan (120 million dollars) and agriculture for four billion yuan (482 million dollars).

Agriculture is largely based on raising yaks and goats and the cultivation of barley, used in making tsampa, the Tibetan staple.

Although Tibet does not lack mineral resources, the extraction of copper, chromite, borax and antimony needs huge investment.

"We hope to cooperate with foreign entities but we are yet to receive concrete proposals," said Tsereng, adding investors would get tax benefits.

But foreign investors have been wary of sinking capital into a region still seriously lacking in energy and transportation.

Tsereng said the problem of frequent power outages "will be solved this year in Lhasa and over the next two years in central Tibet."

Electricity production is expected to double by 2000 to 400,000 kilowatts with the consturction of a 100,000 kw hydroelectric unit south of Lhasa and another at Zhigung (drigung), about 100 kilometres (60 miles) further south. Moreover, two new units of 20,000 kw each are to be put up on the Brahmaputra river.

While tourism brings in much hard currency (11 million dollars in 1996), Tsereng said no foreign funds had flown into the sector.

"There have only been some management agreements, such as with the Holiday Inn chain, which took over the old Lhasa Hotel," he said.

Last year, 32,400 foreign tourists visited Tibet and the authorities hope to attract 60,000 by 2000.