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The resolve to raise farmers' income and reduce and proceed to
rescind agricultural taxes voiced at the on-going sessions of the
top legislature and advisory body was echoed by agricultural expert
NPC deputies and CPPCC members during their heated panel
discussions on the relevant topics.
The year-on-year rise of farmers' income ranged between 2.1
percent and 4.8 percent in the past six years from 1997 to 2003,
less than half of the income growth for urban dwellers. In his
report to the plenum of the Second Session of the 10 National
People's Congress Saturday, Ma Kai, minister of the State
Development and Reform Commission, pledged to increase the farmers'
income by 5 percent this year. If materialized, it will be the
highest growth of farmers' income in seven years.
Chen Xiwen, an official from the Central Financial and Economic
Leading Group, said on Sunday the crux of matter in raising the
farmers' income hinges on stabilizing and exploring grain
production capacity of major grain-producing areas. The Chinese
government has launched a series of substantial measures such as
subsidizing the purchase of agricultural equipment to help solving
the problem.
Han Jun, a noted expert and an official of rural area division
from the State Council Development Research Center, held that
priority would be given to improving quality of agricultural
products, developing stock-breeding industry and optimizing the
structure of agriculture industry.
Quality and security of agricultural products remain the weakest
link in the country's agricultural sector and the problem became
particularly protruding against a backdrop of the recent outbreak
of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu across China, said Chen
Xiaohua, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, who called
for the establishment of an effective mechanism to ensure both
quality and security of agricultural products and help farmers to
earn more income.
Rescindment of agricultural tax in five years, a goal advocated
by Premier Wen Jiabao in his government work report on last Friday,
added pressure to China's budget to some extent but the problem
could be resolved by optimizing the capital structure, said Zhang
Xuedan, a noted tax expert from the Ministry of Finance.
If the economic performance remain stable, China's fiscal
incomes will adequate to offset the decrease in agricultural tax
revenues, Zhang said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2004)
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