BEIJING - China's reform in rural areas, which has made remarkable
achievement in about 30 years, serves the purpose of safeguarding farmers'
material interest, democratic right and developing productivity.
Premier Wen Jiabao (L2) delivers a speech
on rural reform at a national conference in Beijing.
[Xinhua] |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made the remarks at a national conference on rural
reform. The two-day conference closed on Saturday.
Annulling the agricultural tax across China this year marks a new stage of
China's reform in rural area, and the Chinese government will continue to deepen
institutional reform at township level and financial reform at county and
township levels, he said.
China's central, provincial and city governments set aside more than 100
billion yuan (12.5 billion U.S. dollars) this year to make up for the fiscal
income losses of grassroots governments in the tax reform aimed at easing the
burden of farmers, according to official figures.
The comprehensive reform in rural area involves not only economic field, but
also political, social and cultural aspects, he said.
"We should strive to basically complete the institutional reform at township
level, the reform of rural compulsory education and the financial reform at
county and township levels in five years or a bit longer," he said.
On the institutional reform at township level, Wen stressed the importance of
altering the functions of government, streamlining staffs, reducing expenditure
and improving administrative efficiency.
By the end of next year, the country will exempt primary and junior high
school students in its rural areas from tuition and other education expenses, so
as to make every rural kid to afford compulsory education, he said.
Rural teachers' salary must be included in governmental budget, and should be
guaranteed, he said, prohibiting the re-emergence of random charging of rural
students under various excuses.
Self-governance among villagers and expansion of grass-roots democracy are
also important tasks in building new countryside, Wen said, stressing the
importance of democratic election, democratic decision-making, democratic
management and democratic supervision in villages.
