Vice-Premier Li Lanqing on Taxation

Vice-Premier Li Lanqing on Taxation

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Vice-Premier Li Lanqing Monday urged taxation departments at all levels to rectify and regularize taxation work, promote the construction of the national taxation computer network known as "Golden Tax Project," severely crack down on tax-related crimes and improve taxation work constantly.

Li, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, spoke highly of the efforts and achievements made by the taxation authorities in the past few years, after hearing a work report by Jin Renqing, minister of the State Administration of Taxation.

According to statistics, the total tax income of China in 1999 topped the level of one trillion yuan for the first time in history, and 200 billion yuan more was added to the figure in 2000.

In the first four months this year, the tax income reached 506.99 billion yuan, up 28.6 percent on an annual basis.

Li pointed to a number of problems still exist in the field of taxation, such as tax evasion, tax swindle, delayed tax payment and unauthorized tax exemption. He urged tax departments to crack down on all kinds of tax-related crimes and improve the skills of tax collectors.

Acknowledged that the "Golden Tax Project" has been operating smoothly in five provinces and four municipalities, the vice-premier said the country's modern computer network is playing a remarkable role in dealing with crimes like swindling with VAT invoices. The entire network must be put into operation throughout the country by July 1, he said.