Mr. Li Shoujin, director of the Information Office, the People's Government of Guangdong Province and Mr. Zhou Gaoxiong, vice director of the Department of Finance of Guangdong Province at the press conference

Mr. Zhou introduces the reform of taxation and fees in Guangdong countryside.

The per capita net income of Guangdong rural residents reaches 4,054.58 RMB in 2003, up 3.6% over that of 2002 after agricultural tax reform carried out throughout the province in July 1, 2003.

The exciting data is unveiled on a press conference held by the Information Office, People's Government of Guangdong Province on Feb. 9th.

In the reform, the agricultural tax rate was reduced by one percentage to 6%, and the agricultural speciality tax, the local surcharge agricultural tax and the local surcharge agricultural speciality tax were annulled.

In a bid to smoothen the reform, the annual fiscal transfer to countryside has been increased to 2.2 billion yuan from the original set 1.5 billion.

As a result, the financial burden on every farmer in Guangdong has been cut by 83.73% on average to 17.40 RMB from 106.93 RMB prior to the reform, with Nan Ao County, Shantou City 96.8%, Xinyi City of Maoming 95%, Liannan County (Qingyuan City) 93.8%, Lianshan County (Qingyuan City) 92.6% and Huiyang District (Huizhou City) 92%.

The agricultural productivity has also been improved catalyzed by the reform. The added value of agriculture in the province realizes 105.16 billion RMB in 2003, up by 1.2% over the same period in 2002.

Editor: Catherine