The Chinese government should ensure that all Chinese people can equally share the fruits of social and economic development, a deputy from Beijing said during the ongoing session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC).
To achieve this goal, it's important to attach greater importance to solving inequality in income distribution and accelerate the reform of the income distribution system, according to Fang Xin, who is also the deputy secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
"Statistics show that income per capita growth lags behind the rapid rise of state fiscal revenue in recent years," Fang said. "The residential happiness index is comparatively low as people are faced with uncertainties, including retirement, education and medical treatment."
Fang took the young S&T personnel around him for example. "These young people do feel happy for what they are engaged in as life career. Yet they feel somewhat depressed when it comes to such topics as housing and the pre-school education of their children. "
It's the same case for migrant workers, who want to integrate into the urban society, but fall hopeless as their wages are low, Fang said.
To help people increase their wealth for a more comfortable life, the most important measures are to further deepen tax system reforms and reduce burdens on enterprises, especially SMEs, which can in turn use the money to increase the salaries and wages of their employees, Fang suggested.
Fang said, "In the primary distribution of national income, the proportion that goes to wages and salaries should be increased." The figure has dropped from 63 percent in the 1990s to 47 percent at present, slightly lower than the international average.