Full Text: Report on the Work of the Government
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E-mail Xinhua, March 14, 2014
First, we deepened reform and opening up, invigorated the market, and stimulated internal impetus to growth. In the face of complex international and domestic developments and difficult choices in macro-control, we endeavored to resolve deep-seated problems and difficulties, took reform and opening up as the fundamental way to advance development, and gave full rein to both the invisible hand of the market and the visible hand of the government to promote steady economic growth.
Taking government reform as our starting point, we made accelerating the transformation of government functions, streamlining administration and delegating more power to lower-level governments the top priority of this government.
Reform of State Council bodies was carried out in an orderly manner. We abolished or delegated to lower-level governments 416 items previously subject to State Council review and approval in batches, revised the list of investment projects requiring government review and approval, and carried forward reform of the business registration system.
Local governments actively transformed their functions and reformed their departments, and greatly reduced the matters requiring their review and approval. The pilot project to replace business tax with value-added tax (VAT) was expanded, and 348 administrative fees were either canceled or exempted, thus reducing the burden on businesses by more than 150 billion yuan.
All this further improved the market environment and invigorated businesses. The number of newly registered businesses increased by 27.6% nationwide. Private investment increased to 63% of the country's total investment. Interest rate controls on loans were completely lifted. A trial on implementing the National Equities and Exchange Quotations was carried out nationwide. Unified registration of immovable property was launched. The reform greatly invigorated the market and stimulated development and social creativity, and boosted our efforts to streamline administration and delegate more power to lower-level governments.
We deepened reform endeavors. The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone was established and the management model of pre-establishment national treatment (PENT) with a negative list was introduced. The vision of establishing a Silk Road economic belt and a 21st century maritime Silk Road was put forward. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone was upgraded. Free trade agreements were respectively signed with Switzerland and Iceland.
We implemented the policy to keep increases in foreign trade stable and improved customs, inspection, quarantine and other supervision and control services. Major trade disputes over anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese products, such as photovoltaic solar products, were successfully resolved. We marketed China's high-speed rail and nuclear power technologies and equipment on the international market. China's outbound investment increased significantly. The number of Chinese tourists going overseas reached close to 100 million. The sustained progress of opening up created more space for China's development.
Second, we improved our thinking on and ways of conducting macro-control and ensured that the economy performed within a proper range. In the face of economic fluctuations, we maintained confidence, and stressed the need to maintain steady growth and ensure that employment does not fall below the prescribed minimum level and that inflation does not rise above the projected level. As the economic performance remained within the proper range, we concentrated our efforts on improving the growth model and making structural adjustments by unswervingly following the underlying principles of our macro-control policy. This enhanced public confidence in the market and kept expectations stable.
In the first half of last year, China's exports fluctuated drastically, the economic growth rate continued to decline, central government revenue registered negative growth for the first time in many years, and the inter-bank offered rate for lending rose sharply. There was overseas speculation that China's economy would have a "hard landing."
In response to all this, we adhered to a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy. We did not adopt short-term stimulus measures, increase the deficit or issue excessive currency. Instead, we increased effective supply, unleashed potential demand, confidently dealt with short-term market fluctuations, and kept economic activities from sliding out of the proper range. All these efforts reassured the market and played a vital role in sustaining steady economic growth. Last year, the deficit was kept within the budgeted range and the broad money supply (M2) increased by 13.6%, well within the target range.
While keeping macroeconomic policy stable, we made good use of both existing and additional monetary and financial resources. We improved the structure of budgetary expenditures and integrated and cut special transfer payments. The regular expenditures of central Party and government departments and public institutions were cut by 5%, and the regular expenditures of local governments were also reduced. The money saved was used to improve people's lives and grow the economy. Over six million small businesses with low profits benefited from tax breaks. We got a clear picture of total government debt in the whole country through auditing. We tightened financial supervision and liquidity management, thus ensuring sound financial operations.
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