The Chinese government will
push reforms on pay and distribution to make the society a "harmonious"one,
according to government sources.
The reform will be aimed at cutting down the income gap between urbanites and
villagers, between people living in different areas,and between workers in
different industries, the sources said.
According to the sources with the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Finance,
Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Ministry of Labor and Security, the reforms will
also improve the socialist market economy.
The reforms will increase the income of the low-income class, increase the
proportion of the middle-class, readjust the income of the rich people, and
prohibit people from making illegal earnings, according to the officials.
The existing wage system for civil servants has lagged behind the development
of the socialist market economy, casting negative impacts on the enthusiasm and
stability of civil servants in the country, the sources said.
According to official figures, 60 percent of Chinese civil servants working
in governments at county level and lower levels, while 92 percent are low-rank
government workers.
Under a new wage system, low-rank civil servants will have moreopportunities
to receive larger salaries and receive more subsidies if they work in remote and
poverty-stricken areas.
The government will allocate more funds for retirement pensionsand grant more
subsidies to low-income families and retired peopleincluding revolutionary
veterans, according to the officials.
The reforms are aimed at allowing all Chinese people to enjoy the fruits of
the reform, opening up and modernization drive, theyemphasized.
Living standards in China have improved alongside its fast economic
development over the past decades, but the income gaps between urbanites and
villagers as well people from different regions and industries have continued to
grow, according to the officials.
