Report on the implementation of the central and local budgets for 2014 and on the central and local draft budgets for 2015 (6)

Spending on energy conservation and environmental protection came to 203.281 billion yuan, 96.4% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 3.2%. The shortfall is primarily due to spending on subsidies for encouraging the sale of energy-efficient vehicles with engine displacement of 1.6 liters or less being lower than anticipated. The total is made up of 34.453 billion yuan of central government spending and 168.828 billion yuan made in transfer payments to local governments. Support was increased for efforts to prevent and control air pollution in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and their surrounding areas as well as in the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas. Support was also given for the building of over 1,400 air monitoring stations across China. Trials were launched to comprehensively improve the conditions of rivers, covering each river’s entire drainage basin. We moved ahead the trials for the areas along the Xin’an River basin to compensate each other for their impact on water quality, and moved forward with efforts to establish a mechanism for provinces to compensate each other for ecological damage or the costs of ecological protection. A total of 14,100 kilometers of pipe networks was constructed to complement urban sewage treatment facilities. Contiguous environmental improvement initiatives were launched in 13,112 villages, directly benefitting approximately 15.8 million people. Efforts were begun to ensure mineral resources are being used comprehensively, and improvements were made to the environment in contiguous mining areas. The trial to completely stop logging in key state-owned forest areas was launched in Heilongjiang Province. We supported the implementation of a new round of efforts to return 333,000 hectares of marginal arable land back into forest or grassland. This year’s task of closing down outdated production facilities in 15 key industries including steel and cement was completed. We supported problem-solving in the development of technologies for new-energy vehicles as well as demos and promotional work for the vehicles, and encouraged the development of the energy conservation and environmental protection industries. We extended the scope of comprehensive demonstrations of energy conservation and emission reduction based on integrating financial policies. Efforts were stepped up to develop new energy and renewable energy.

Spending on transport totaled 426.98 billion yuan, 98.3% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 3.3%. Spending on stockpiling grain, edible oils, and other materials stood at 153.975 billion yuan, 110.5% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 21.6%. The excess is mainly due to an increase in central government spending on subsidizing interest payments made for stockpiling grain and edible oils and the expenses for purchasing japonica rice and corn from northeast China. Spending on national defense was 808.288 billion yuan, 100% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 12.2%. Spending on public security came to 212.027 billion yuan, 103.4% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 9.7%. Spending on general public services totaled 125.134 billion yuan, 100.5% of the budgeted figure and an increase of 3.1%.