|
A member of China's top advisory body said in Beijing Monday that
there is an urgent need to reform the country's existing personal
income tax system so as to address the widening gap between the
rich and the poor.
Qu
Shijing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the income gap is
widening between high-income urban households and low-income ones,
between urban and rural individuals, and between the eastern
coastal areas and land-locked areas in central and western
China.
The irrational tax system has resulted in the concentration of
wealth in a small number of people, which is harmful to the sound
development of the national economy and social stability, said Qu,
who came from Shanghai to attend the First Session of the 10 CPPCC
National Committee which began Monday afternoon.
"The insufficient purchasing power of low-income groups has
weakened the role of domestic demand as a crucial propeller of
economic growth," he said.
To
revise the existing personal tax system, Qu suggested efforts be
made to establish a progressive taxation system conforming to
China's conditions and launch a nationwide publicity campaign on
citizens' obligations to pay taxes.
(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2003)
|
