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Major Event Affecting General Situation of National Economy
With China's agriculture and rural economic development entering a new stage, there have emerged some new situations and new problems, the most outstanding problem of which is the slow growth in farmers' income. In view of this, the central authorities have called for taking increase of farmers' income by every possible means as a major aspect to be tackled in this year's economic work.
The slow growth of farmers' income not only affects the development and stability of rural areas and improvement in farmers' living standards, but also concerns the national economy as a whole. As it is noted in the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Concerning Doing a Good Job of Agriculture and Rural Work in 2001, if enhancement in the ability to supply agricultural products cannot bring benefits for the farmers, there will likely be a reversal of the hard-won situation featuring a balance between supply and demand; without enhancing farmers' purchasing power, it would be impossible for the principle of expanding domestic demands to achieve its anticipated results; failing to improve farmers' livelihood would entail increased factors affecting rural social stability; when farmers' ability for input and accumulation is weak, it would be difficult for China's agriculture to adapt to the increasingly fierce international market competition; when agriculture and the rural economy fail to develop steadily, it would be difficult to maintain the favorable situation of the national economy.
Farmers make up the overwhelming majority of China's population, so if the farmers at large cannot be better off, it would be impossible to finally attain the goal for the comprehensive construction of a society enjoying a moderate prosperity. This being the case, when we approach the question concerning increase of farmers' income, we cannot simply take the matter on its merits, instead we must, standing on a strategic height and on the high plane of the overall situation of the national economy, comprehensively and clearly understand the profound significance of the question concerning augmenting farmers' income.
Increasing farmers' income has a great bearing on the sound development of the entire national economy. The Outline of the 10th Five-year Plan for the National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China approved by the Fourth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) points to the need to always put agriculture in the first position of the national economy and ensure the sustained and steady development of agriculture on the basis of enhancing its overall quality and efficiency, and guarantee a relatively rapid growth of farmers' income. This contains a very strong practical significance and strategic view.
To increase farmers' income by every possible means, it is, FIRSTLY, necessary to vigorously readjust the agricultural structure. That is an important way to augment farmers' income. Because agriculture is, after all, the basic source of farmers' income. Whether the agricultural structure is reasonable or not determines whether or not farm products can be sold out and be sold at good prices, thereby determining whether or not farmers' income can be increased. Increase in farmers' income has been slow in the past few years. Viewed from the internal factors of agriculture, this is because there are various factors of incompatibility between production and market demand. It can thus be seen that vigorously readjusting the agricultural structure and arranging the production of agricultural products in accordance with market demands are the inevitable choice for increasing farmers' income.
SECONDLY, actively opening up avenues for increasing farmers' income. Viewed from the development trend, the proportion of increased income earned by farmers from the traditional agricultural field will gradually decrease, while the proportion of increased income earned from modern agriculture, agriculture-related fields and non-agricultural fields will be gradually expanded. In recent years, among farmers' income, the income derived from labor service pay has grown relatively fast, that is a very good evidence. We should guide surplus rural labor force to switch into non-agricultural industries in a planned and organized way and accelerate the development of the secondary and tertiary industries, thereby opening up new avenues of employment and increased incomes for the farmers.
THIRDLY, it is necessary to intensify efforts to support and protect agriculture. Agriculture is a weak industry featuring high social efficiency and low self-efficiency, so it needs support and protection. Especially at present and for a period of time to come, under the circumstance of difficulty in increasing farmers' income, it is all the more necessary to intensify effort to support and protect agriculture. As far as the country is concerned, it should readjust the national income distribution structure, so that the distribution policy is made to favor agriculture as much as possible; as far as society is concerned, various trades and professions should support agriculture and bear due obligations. Various regions, and Party committees and governments at all levels must try their best to support and protect agriculture and protect farmers' interests.
FOURTHLY, it is essential to earnestly reduce farmers' burden. Under a fixed income level, reducing farmers' burden is tantamount to increasing their disposable incomes. At present, the problem regarding heavy burden on farmers has not yet been completely resolved. What's more, unauthorized fund-raising, indiscriminate charge and arbitrary fines and quotas under varied names are still around despite repeated prohibitions, farmers have lots of complaints about this.
We must strictly carry out documents of the Party Central Committee and the State Council concerning lightening farmers' burden, and resolutely stop all acts of increasing farmers' load. At the same time, we must expedite reforms of rural tax and fee payment, streamline township institutions and downsize staff, conscientiously change government functions, explore ways for fundamentally reducing farmers' burden, thereby solving the problem institutionally.
In short, increasing farmers' income by every possible means is a major aspect of the economic work of this year and during the entire 10th Five-year Plan period, it is a major event affecting the overall situation of the national economy. Various regions, Party committees and governments at all levels must enhance their understanding, use their brains, work in a down-to-earth manner, so as to achieve remarkable results.
The above is the first article written by Our Commentator on increasing farmers' income by every possible means. It is published on the front page of People's Daily, March 23
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