Full text: Report on China's central, local budgets (11)

Fiscal and tax reforms continued to deepen. We made substantial progress in establishing fiscal and tax systems and mechanisms conducive to developing scientifically. We improved the transfer payment structure to raise the share of general transfer payments from 50.8% of total transfer payments in 2007 to 53.3% in 2012. We established a mechanism to ensure basic funding for all county-level governments and deepened the reform to place county finances directly under the management of provincial-level governments and township finances under the management of county governments. The government budget system improved as we eliminated all off-budget funds and placed all government revenue and expenditure under budgetary management. We improved the way surplus revenue is used, and established a sound budget stabilization fund system. We fully implemented the reform to establish a departmental budget system, and extended the coverage of the centralized treasury collection and payment system to all levels of departments at and above the county level that prepare their own budgets and to those with the right conditions at the township level. We made significant headway in VAT reform and in expanding the scope of the VAT system, improved the excise tax system over time, smoothly reformed taxes and fees related to refined oil products, made steady progress in reforming property and resource taxes, unified the tax systems for domestic and overseas enterprises, constantly improved the personal income tax system, and further standardized income distribution between the government on the one hand and enterprises and individuals on the other.

Fiscal management steadily improved. Basic work on fiscal management and its development at the primary level of government intensified, and overall progress was achieved in making fiscal management more scientific and meticulous. The new Law on Corporate Income Tax and Law on Vehicle and Vessel Tax came into force, and progress was achieved in revising the Budget Law. Local government budgets were made significantly more complete and their implementation more timely, balanced, effective, and secure. Work on introducing performance-based budget management moved forward in an orderly manner, and government budgets and final accounts were released on a regular basis and according to institutional procedures. Important headway was made in requiring government departments to release information regarding their spending on official overseas trips, official vehicles, and official hospitality. We verified all the debts of local governments and obtained a clear picture of their debt position, introduced policies and measures to strengthen debt management by local government financing companies, and stayed vigilant against financial risks in public finance. We carried out the work of issuing bonds for local governments with the approval of the State Council in an orderly manner, worked to clear the outstanding debts of local governments to reduce their burden, and gradually improved oversight mechanisms that cover all government-managed funds and all stages of fiscal operations.

The achievements made in fiscal work over the past five years were the result of the scientific policymaking and correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, increased oversight and effective guidance of the NPC and its deputies and the CPPCC National Committee and its members, and concerted, strenuous efforts of all regions and departments and the people of all of China's ethnic groups. At the same time, we are soberly aware of the following problems and shortcomings in our fiscal work: Progress in fiscal and taxation legislation needs to be accelerated, as tax legislation is still in its infancy. Fiscal and tax policies need to play a bigger role in promoting change in the growth model and regulating income distribution. Reform of the fiscal system needs to be accelerated in order to clearly define powers and corresponding spending responsibilities among different levels of government. The system of transfer payments requires improvement, as there are currently too many items funded by special transfer payments. The structure of the tax system is not sufficiently balanced, and the development of local tax systems has fallen behind schedule. The excessive non-tax revenues collected by some local governments are having an adverse effect on the stability of government receipts. Government funds are not used efficiently in some localities and organizations that are prone to extravagance and waste, which requires performance-based budget management to be introduced more quickly. Some localities are under immense pressure to repay their debts, and the potential risks involved must not be overlooked. We must take these problems seriously and adopt effective measures to solve them.