No. 1 Document on raising farmers' income hailed

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 09, 2004

No. 1 Document on raising farmers' income hailed

"As farmers have long been making up the majority of China's population, the entire country cannot be prosperous and powerful unless farmers get rich," a Chinese official claimed Monday.

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"As farmers have long been making up the majority of China's population, the entire country cannot be prosperous and powerful unless farmers get rich," a Chinese official claimed Monday.

Chen Xiwen, deputy director of the office of the Central Financial Work Leading Group, hailed a document on policies for increasing farmers' income, issued Sunday by the Central Committeeof the Communist Party of China, at a press conference held by theInformation Office of the State Council.

The so-called No. 1 Document in 2004 will not only help solve the difficulties the Chinese farmers are encountering to raise income, but yield new ideas to develop China's vast rural areas, the official said.

This was the first-ever document issued by the CPC Central Committee on boosting farmers' income since the new China was founded in 1949.

From 1997 to 2003, the per capita income of Chinese farmers increased four percent annually on average, while the disposable income of urban dwellers jumped eight percent, widening the already big earning gap between rural and urban residents.

Chen pointed out that China's consumer demand could not be really spurred unless the rural people -- accounting for 60 percent of the country's population -- have strong enough purchasing power.

Since 1998, China has been seeking to boost consumer demand to develop its economy, which grew 9.1 percent last year.

Chen said the political achievements of Chinese officials should be measured neither by a high GDP growth rate nor those magnificent projects, but by whether they can increase farmers' income or better their livelihood.

In line with the new document, China will slash agricultural tax rates by one percentage point this year and abolish taxes on special farm produce, except tobacco leaves.

Chen revealed that the central government's fiscal budget for rural development will increase nearly 30 billion yuan (3.61 billion US dollars) from last year to more than 150 billion yuan (18.07 billion US dollars) in 2004.

The added money will be used mainly to support tax reforms, upgrade ecological conditions, develop education, health care and training for young people, build more basic facilities and speed up poverty reduction in rural areas.

The Ministry of Finance has basically passed the budget plan and will submit it to the National People's Congress next March for deliberation and enforcement, according to Chen.

Source: Xinhua

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