The 2002 tax revenue in China's Tibet Autonomous Region reached 989.63 million yuan (about US$119 million), an increase of 12 percent over 2001.
In 2002, the value-added tax collected in Tibet was 346.2 million yuan, up two percent year-on-year, and the sales tax 350.37 million yuan, up 33 percent.
The sales tax imposed on aweto, a rare herbal plant which grows in the wild, was also lowered from 20 percent to 10 percent during the year. The plant is a major source of income for many residents of northern Tibet.
The tax departments in Tibet have also intensified tax collection supervision at rural fairs, real estate agencies and wholesale markets.
(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2003)
