Key points for Premier Wen´s gov´t work report

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-05-2007 14:08

Premier Wen Jiabao's government work report is divided into six parts. The report reviews the achievements of the past year, lays out the general plan for this year's government priorities, and puts forward ways to sustain long-term economic growth and promote social progress.

Well begun is half done. With the achievements in 2006, the Chinese Premier says progress in China's 11th Five-Year Program has been promising. China's GDP increased by 10.7 percent in 2006 to reach 20.94 trillion yuan.

In the same year, the country's import and export volume totaled 1.76 trillion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of nearly 24 percent. And living standards improved substantially. Farmers’per capita income exceeded 3,587 yuan, an all time high.

Behind these achievements is hard work.

Wen Jiabao said in 2006, the Chinese government focused on the following major areas:

Macroeconomic regulation was strengthened and improved. Major measures include strict control of land use, tight monetary policies, and guiding principles for the development of the real estate market. These measures helped cool down the overheated investment in fixed assets and ease the trade imbalance.

Steady progress was made in building a new socialist countryside. The central government increased its budget for agriculture and rural areas to 339.7 billion yuan. It also scrapped the agricultural tax, which had been collected on grain farmers in the country for over 2,600 years.

The government accelerated adjustment of the economic structure. It adopted policies and measures to promote the independent development of major technologies and domestic production of major equipment in key areas. As a result, there was noticeable decline in the growth rate of investment in industries with surplus production capacity. Meanwhile, the government is working on overall strategy to improve the coordinated regional development across the country

The process of reform and opening up was accelerated. In some noteworthy moves, a shareholding system was introduced in the reform of state-owned enterprises. Chinese enterprises are being encouraged to invest overseas and cooperate with overseas counterparts. China is doing all it can to fulfill the commitment for its WTO accession.

The government increased funding for the development of science and technology, education, health care services, culture and sports. Nearly 160 billion yuan have been spent to promote China's social progress.

Wen Jiabao said the government is dedicated to increasing employment and strengthening social security. The central government allocated 23.4 billion yuan for the reemployment campaign. And the basic framework of a social assistance system for both urban and rural residents have been set up.

And an all-out effort was made to build a clean government and combat corruption. A campaign to combat bribery in business has been launched.

2007 is the last year of the current government's term. Wen Jiabao said the top priority for the government in this crucial year is the sound and rapid development of the national economy. The government is aiming for strong but steady GDP growth of around 8 percent.

Wen Jiabao said a prudent fiscal policy is at the heart of the government's macro-economic regulation.

The government is committed to reducing the budget deficit to 245 billion yuan.

The structure of budgetary expenditure and government investment will be improved to put more emphasis on key areas.

Excess revenue in the central government budget will be spent to increase social security funding and promote social progress.

Wen Jiabao singled out the real estate sector as a prominent area in which the macro-economic control is expected to play a bigger role. He stressed that the real estate industry must focus on developing reasonably priced housing projects for ordinary people. In the coming years, both government regulation and market mechanisms will be used to maintain a reasonable scale of real estate investment.

Development in rural areas where most of the population lives is also prominent on the government's agenda. Wen Jiabao said the development of modern agriculture will gain speed this year.

The government will ensure the steady development of grain production.

The government will substantially raise the overall productivity of agriculture through more advanced technologies.

It will step up efforts to boost the development of rural infrastructure.

And it will open more channels to increase farmers' incomes.

In 2007, the government will also focus more on transforming the country's economic growth pattern and make it more environmentally-friendly.

The government will tighten the enforcement of energy consumption and environmental protection standards.

It will step up efforts to improve energy conservation and reduce pollution in key industries.

And it will help facilitate the development of energy-saving and environmentally-friendly technologies.

In 2007, the government will accelerate efforts to upgrade the industrial structure and encourage independent innovations.

It will seek to greatly develop the service industry and promote extensive use of cutting-edge technologies in the economy.

And it will launch more key state science and technology projects to make breakthroughs in a number of core technologies crucial to the economy.

In 2007, the government will do more to promote balanced development among different regions. And the central government will step up state support for underdeveloped areas.

Editor:Du Xiaodan