The State Council on Wednesday admitted that the economic loss
caused by the outbreak of SARS was starting to emerge in China.
Senior leaders attending a meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao
urged everyone to keep such losses to a minimum without slackening
efforts to tackle the disease.
Local governments and departments should improve their economic
pointers and analysis of the economy, and resolve new issues
promptly, participants in the meeting stated.
China's gross domestic product grew by 9.9 per cent in the first
three months of the year.
But international observers have revised downwards their
predictions for the nation's economic growth this year following
the outbreak of SARS.
Yesterday's meeting put forward a comprehensive package covering
areas from rural industry to consumption in an effort to counter
the damage caused by the disease, which has now spread to many
parts of China.
It
highlighted the importance of stabilizing agricultural production
and accelerating economic restructuring in rural areas, with a call
to boost the incomes of farmers.
It
called for more investment and faster construction of major
schemes, and sought more input from treasury bonds and budgetary
construction funds for projects crucial to the fight against
SARS.
New engines for consumption and economic development should be
cultivated. The meeting stressed industries such as automobiles,
real estate, telecommunications and Internet-related business.
The meeting demanded efforts to secure an increase in trade in the
second quarter of this year.
Exported products should be effectively quarantined, the meeting
urged, calling for greater support for exports of
electromechanical, high-tech and textile products.
Spending should be tightly controlled except for expenditure on the
prevention and treatment of SARS.
Support for badly hit industries such as civil aviation, tourism,
catering and taxis should be a policy priority, according to the
meeting. Enterprises in SARS-hit areas should not fire employees at
will, while local governments should provide assistance to those
whose living conditions have slipped below the minimum level due to
SARS.
The State Council also asked local governments and departments to
take effective measures to ensure the transportation of important
materials and daily necessities. The normal functioning of
telecommunications, electric power, transportation, water and gas
services, banks account settlement and stock exchanges was also
essential.
(China Daily May 8, 2003)