China will press ahead with reforms to better safeguard farmers' interests
and rights and develop the rural economy, Premier Wen Jiabao pledged in remarks
released yesterday.
The annulment of agricultural tax this year marks a new stage of reforms in
rural areas, and the government will continue to deepen institutional reform at
township level and financial reform at county and township levels, Wen told a
two-day national conference on rural reform which ended on Saturday.
China's central, provincial and city governments have set aside more than 100
billion yuan (US$12.5 billion) this year to make up for lost income of
grassroots governments in the tax reform aimed at easing the burden of farmers,
according to official figures.
Reforms in rural areas involve not just money but also political, social and
cultural aspects, the premier emphasized.
"We should strive to complete institutional reform at township level, and
reform of rural compulsory education and financial reform at county and township
levels in five years or so," he said.
On institutional reform at township level, Wen stressed the importance of
altering the functions of government, streamlining staff, reducing expenditure
and improving administrative efficiency.
By the end of next year, primary and junior high school students in rural
areas will be exempted from tuition and other education expenses, so that every
child can have compulsory education, he said.
Rural teachers' salary must be included in government budgets to prevent the
re-emergence of random levying of fees under various guises, he said.
Self-governance for villagers and expansion of grass-roots democracy are also
important tasks in building a new countryside, Wen said, stressing the
importance of democratic elections, decision-making, management and supervision.
(China Daily 09/04/2006 page1)
