Government promotes development and democracy in rural areas
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) Rural development and democracy under the supervision of local officials and village committees, greater support and incentives, more active participation of local residents are the goals the Chinese government set out in a policy paper that addresses the problems of rural areas and seeks to enforce peasants' rights. The paper reiterates the longstanding commitment of the authorities to helping rural areas, hitherto neglected in favour of urban areas, through tax relief and better protection for rural communities against corruption and abuses of power by local officials.
China's official news agency Xinhua recently reported that on June 22 the State Council and the central Committee of the Communist Party approved the new policy paper with 6 executive orders laying down the framework that should enable rural communities to oversee local officials and village committees. This should guarantee a more democratic village administration. The new regulations are designed to prevent corruption, protect citizens from undue pressures by officials, and increase transparency. This should be achieved through public scrutiny of salaries, public and social assistance grants, tax and family planning policy-making, land distribution, and health benefits allocation. Economic committees made up of members of local Supervisory Commission have to be created. They will be responsible for monitoring public resources use and informing the public through the media and the internet. Village committees should fulfil their duties by adhering to democratic principles and the public should be guaranteed the right to more actively participate in the life of the village.
The government has tried to encourage greater participation among rural residents through direct elections but has had modest results. Too often only one candidate runs, or results in local elections are overturned by local cadres who rule through intimidation and corruption.
In early July, in the village of Jingwentun just outside Beijing, a newly-elected member to the local village committee, Zhang Yayu, was forced to resign even before taking office because of pressures from some of his fellow villagers, including members of the outgoing committee, all this under the indifferent eye of local officials. Zhang claims that he was excluded because last year he had led a petition drive calling for more frequent and transparent inspections of how the committee managed local economic affairs. An enquiry by experts revealed that large sums had indeed been spent on parties and banquets despite the many local families living in poverty. In 2000 such expenditures reached 200,000 yuans (almost 20,000 euros)
In a country where most people (900 million people, 60% of the total population, generating 17.7% of GDP) live in the countryside, rural poverty is still widespread and its reduction remains one of the top priorities of the present government leadership.
Recently, China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing said it was necessary to shift resources to agriculture away from the cities and encourage the agricultural sector. "Officials in charge of economic matters must adopt a new way of thinking and stop considering cities and industrial growth as the priority at the expense of villages and agriculture." The minister made it clear that the government intends to increase rural revenues by investing in agriculture, providing greater subsidies, promoting free markets, and especially reducing overall taxation and introducing a five-year agricultural tax holiday.
The State Council has already exempted the north-eastern provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang from paying the agricultural tax for one year. Soon the districts around Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and the south-eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian will do the same. In another 11 provinces, including Anhui, Hunan and Sichuan, the tax will be reduced by 3%. The remaining provinces will reduce the tax by 1%. (MR)
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19/07/2005
