Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 5 -

Problem: excessive government "austerity" and let the people live a better life - Minister of Finance Liu Kun Detailed proactive fiscal policy in 2021

  Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Cheng

  National economy and people's livelihood, large and small books, new arrangements for the new year.

  In the first year of the "14th Five-Year Plan", it is particularly critical to give full play to the role of fiscal functions and promote a good start and a good start in the new journey.

  In 2021, how will the proactive fiscal policy be renewed?

What are the new arrangements for tax reduction and fee reduction and direct funds?

How to protect people's livelihood?

The reporter recently interviewed Liu Kun, Minister of Finance.

Proactive fiscal policy improves quality and efficiency, and is more sustainable

  The Central Economic Work Conference proposed that a proactive fiscal policy should improve quality and efficiency and be more sustainable.

How to understand?

How to implement?

  Liu Kun said that fiscal policy "improving quality and efficiency" mainly focuses on optimizing the structure and strengthening management, further improving the policy implementation mechanism, tapping the potential inward, and effectively improving policy efficiency and capital efficiency.

  "On the one hand, it will establish and implement a normalized direct fiscal fund mechanism to improve the efficiency of fiscal expenditures; on the other hand, it will focus on saving resources and enriching the people, and highlight performance orientation." Life", let the people live a good life.

  He said that “more sustainable” mainly means that the scale of expenditure and policy strength must remain basically stable, and that there will be policy space for responding to new risks and challenges in the future.

Reasonably determine the deficit rate and the scale of local government special bonds, maintain an appropriate spending intensity, and maintain the macro leverage ratio basically stable.

  Affected by the epidemic, some grassroots cities and counties have increased the pressure on basic people's livelihood, wages, and operations.

In order to secure the bottom line of the "three guarantees" at the grassroots level, the financial department has introduced a number of powerful measures in 2020. How else will it be done this year?

  "This year's budget arrangement will continue to strengthen the financial protection of localities." Liu Kun said that the central government will prioritize the "three guarantees" expenditures, and provincial finance departments should strengthen the review of city and county budgets.

At the same time, strengthen the implementation of the "three guarantees" monitoring, dynamically grasp the implementation of the grassroots level, and strictly prohibit misappropriation of the "three guarantees" expenditures.

  "All localities must also firmly establish a bottom line thinking to ensure the steady and sustainable operation of grassroots finances," said Liu Kun.

Resolutely reduce the tax reduction in place and reduce the fee reduction in place

  In recent years, my country has implemented a large-scale tax and fee reduction policy to help market players go lightly. How strong is it?

  "In 2020, when fiscal revenues and expenditures are relatively difficult, we will continuously implement 7 batches of 28 tax and fee reduction policies, and the annual scale is expected to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan." Liu Kun said, the cumulative period of the "13th Five-Year" period The scale of tax reduction and fee reduction reached about 7.6 trillion yuan.

  The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to improve the tax and fee reduction policies.

How will it advance in 2021?

  Liu Kun said that the financial department will overcome the immediate pressure of revenue and expenditure, resolutely reduce the tax reduction in place and reduce the fee reduction in place; on the basis of maintaining a certain degree of tax reduction and fee reduction, efforts will be made to improve relevant policies.

  "On the one hand, continue to advance." Liu Kun said, comprehensively considering the financial affordability and the need to implement relief policies to help companies, maintain a certain degree of tax and fee reduction, continue to implement institutional tax and fee reduction policies, and help enterprises. "Send a ride."

  On the other hand, strict supervision will strictly control the unreasonable growth of non-tax revenue, intensify the rectification of various types of illegal corporate fees, and resolutely prevent the weakening of the tax and fee reduction policy dividends.

  "In recent years, many of the tax and fee reduction policies that we have implemented are not one-time or temporary, but are institutional and continuous. After years of implementation, the cumulative effect has become greater and greater, and the burden reduction of enterprises will become more and more obvious. ." Liu Kun said.

Expansion of the scope of direct funding, forming a normalized and institutionalized arrangement

  The creative establishment of a direct mechanism for fiscal funds is an important measure to do a solid job of "six stability" and implement the tasks of "six guarantees", and it is also a major innovation in fiscal macro-control methods.

How effective is the policy?

  "In 2020, the direct fiscal budget has been issued. As of December 29, 1.52 trillion yuan has been put into use, and the effect is obvious." Liu Kun said.

  He said that with the joint efforts of various localities and departments, more than 90% of the direct central funds were distributed to the city and county grassroots in only 20 days, and the provincial fiscal refinement was issued in an average of only one week; the funds were "precise drip irrigation" to ensure Every penny is used in the fields of urgent need at the grassroots and benefiting enterprises and people.

  How will this effective mechanism continue to be effective?

  "In 2021, the Ministry of Finance will conscientiously summarize and improve the experience and practices of the direct mechanism of fiscal funds, form a normalized institutional arrangement, and promote strict management of funds, flexible and accurate use of funds." Liu Kun said.

  "The total amount of direct funds this year will increase compared with last year, and the scope will be expanded." Liu Kun said, general transfer payments directly used for grassroots financial protection, transfer payments from the central government to local governments that can be directly distributed at the beginning of the year, and conditions All of the special transfer payments will be included in the direct scope.

  He said that at the same time, strengthen the business guidance and supervision responsibilities of industry departments, strengthen financial supervision and audit supervision; accelerate the upgrading and transformation of the direct fund monitoring system, promote the open sharing of data; promote the direct mechanism to be embedded in the budget management process.

Take a firm look at the bottom line of basic people's livelihood

  State finances are taken from the people and used by the people.

To strengthen the protection of people's livelihood, what new arrangements does the financial department have?

  "No matter how the fiscal revenue and expenditure pressure, we must resolutely protect people's livelihood expenditures." Liu Kun said that in 2021, the Ministry of Finance will continue to do its best and do what it can, to firmly establish the basic livelihood of the people, and strive to ensure the people's livelihood. The sense of acquisition is more satisfactory, the sense of happiness is more sustainable, and the sense of security is more secure.

  Implement the employment priority policy, coordinate the use of various types of funds such as employment subsidies; promote the high-quality development of education, increase educational financial investment; steadily improve the level of social security, promote the national overall planning of basic endowment insurance for enterprise employees; improve the management of national social security funds, Deepen the reform of the investment and operation management system and mechanism; promote the construction of a healthy China; support the development of cultural undertakings... Liu Kun introduced the focus of this year's financial protection of people's livelihood.

  "While strengthening the basic livelihood security, we will pay more attention to the effectiveness and sustainability of livelihood policies and measures." He said, ensuring that people's livelihood expenditures are coordinated with economic development and matching financial conditions, and continue to implement the livelihood dividends. Let people's livelihood protection extend to the future.

Putting a "tightening curse" on local government debt

  Facing the complex and severe domestic and international situation at present and for a period of time in the future, how to prevent major risks involving the financial sector?

  "We will coordinate development and security, establish a bottom-line thinking, estimate difficulties more fully, think more deeply about risks, plug loopholes, strengths and weaknesses, play first moves, fight proactive battles, and resolutely guard against occurrences. The bottom line of systemic risk." Liu Kun said.

  On the one hand, to maintain national economic security, increase fiscal and tax policy support for weak links and shortcomings that affect economic security, and achieve safety and control in key industries, major technologies and other key areas.

  On the other hand, to ensure the safety of the finance itself.

"Balancing the relationship between promoting development and preventing risks, rationally arrange deficits, debts and expenditure policies, and work hard to resolve hidden debt risks of local governments." Liu Kun said.

  At present, my country's local government debt risk is generally controllable, but some regions are still adding hidden debt, and the debt repayment risk in some regions has increased.

In this regard, Liu Kun said that he would "closely monitor and be highly vigilant."

  “Putting on the'tightening curse' on local government debt will create an additional'safety valve' for economic and social development." He said that the financial department will actively take measures such as "opening the front door" and "blocking the back door", ensuring and regulating simultaneously, and further Improve management, strengthen supervision, promote the "sunshine" of local government debt, and effectively keep debt risks in a cage.