Each farmer paid 20 yuan (US$2.41) less fees on average in 2003 than in the previous year, statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show.

The figure was released at the national conference on malpractice correction held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Through trimming rural taxes and fees, China lightened the load of its peasants to the tune of 64.8 billion yuan (US$7.81 billion), said Li Zhilun, director of the State Council Office for Correcting Malpractice.

Meanwhile, the government has been rigorous in punishing any official derelict duty as regards rural taxes, and punished three municipal and 30 county-level officials for this reason last year, Li said.

The central government has decided to take several measures to reduce peasants' burden, including issuing allowances directly to the major grain-growing households and cutting the agricultural tax rate. It was important for governments at various levels to carry out these measures without mistakes, said Vice Minister of Agriculture Liu Jian.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2004)