China's 900 million farmers were an average 133 yuan (17 U.S. dollars) better
off this year after the government scrapped the agricultural tax.
Oyunqemag, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress (NPC), in a report Wednesday to China's top legislature on the
implementation of agricultural laws said farmers were relieved of a total tax
burden of 120 billion yuan (15 billion U.S. dollars).
She attributed the
reduction in farmers' tax to the end of agricultural tax across the country in
2006.
She said the central government had invested 19 billion yuan (2.37
billion dollars) in rural education and 8.7 billion yuan (1.08 billion dollars)
in health care this year.
Other benefits for farmers included 39.3
billion yuan (4.9 billion dollars) in direct grain subsidies and other four
subsidies.
The state also allocated 53 billion yuan (6.62 billion
dollars) from the central budget and treasury bonds to farming and village
development.
In 2005, the government invested 81.2 billion yuan (10.15
billion dollars) in basic farm construction, mainly in water conservancy and
irrigation projects.
Financial institutions lent more to farmers and
farming-related projects, with loans totaling 4.33 trillion yuan (541.25 billion
dollars) by June, 1.59 trillion yuan (199.02 billion dollars) more than in
2003.
More than 70 million farmers had received loans by the end of
2005.
The amount of premiums for agricultural insurance increased by 89
percent and pay outs by 100 percent in 2005.
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