The State Council, China's cabinet, has called for efforts to carry
out experiment in rural tax reform in an all-round way.
The trial was made in 20 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities, and part of counties and cities in other province
sin 2002.
This year, according to the State Council, work should be done to
draw experience and improve related policies to ensure an obvious
reduction of farmers' financial burden, the normal operation of
town, township and village administrative institutions, and
sufficient input in compulsory education in the countryside.
Meanwhile, rural tax policies should be further improved to
gradually reduce the agricultural specialty tax and nurture
conditions for stopping collecting the tax.
The agricultural tax reduction and exemption system should be
further improved. The reduction and exemption should be decided
according to the principle of "slight cut for slight disaster,
heavy cut for heavy disaster and exemption for severe disaster."
Channels of stable fund supply should be opened up to support the
reduction and exemption.
The State Council also calls for greater efforts to ensure that the
tax assignments for farmers are rational and fair so as to
encourage their initiative.
The policy of "one meeting for one event" should be strictly
carried out in villages. That means any public undertakings in
villages which demand fund raising or labor of villagers should be
decided by farmers themselves through discussions at village
meetings.
All rural-related fees should be straightened out and rectified to
alleviate farmers' financial burden.
All localities are required to vigorously explore ways of
dissolving both public and individual debts in rural areas.
The State Council also urges that supervision and inspections
should be intensified to guarantee the success of the reform.
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2007)