Shandong Province in east China has reduced the burden of farmers by 35 percent this year through rural taxation reforms, according to local authorities.
Shandong is among the first 16 Chinese provinces to conduct rural taxation trial reforms this year. During the reform, Shandong has made investigations into the acreage of taxable farmland of its farmers and their average annual output, such laying a basis of assessment on the taxes they should pay.
For the first time, farmers in the province are paying taxes by holding a certificate on a ratified tax amount and another supervision card making them clear about what tax items should be paid.
By early December, Shandong has collected agricultural taxes totaling 4.5 billion yuan, nearly 96 percent of the target set at the beginning of the year.
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2002)
