China News Service, February 1st: The State Council Information Office held a press conference on the fiscal revenue and expenditure for 2023 on the 1st. Wang Dongwei, Vice Minister of Finance, said at the meeting that the Central Economic Work Conference made clear arrangements to strengthen counter-cyclical and inter-cyclical adjustment of macroeconomic policies, and that proactive fiscal policies should be appropriately intensified to improve quality and efficiency.
On February 1, China's State Council Information Office held a press conference in Beijing. Vice Minister of Finance Wang Dongwei, Director of the Budget Department Wang Jianfan, Director of the Treasury Department Li Xianzhong, and Director of the Asset Management Department Hou Junming introduced the fiscal revenue and expenditure for 2023. situation and answered questions from reporters. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Kejia
Wang Dongwei introduced that the so-called moderate strengthening mainly includes four points: first, maintain appropriate expenditure intensity and release positive signals; second, rationally arrange the scale of government investment and give full play to the driving and amplifying effect of government investment; third, increase balanced transfer The intensity of payment should ensure the bottom line of the "three guarantees" at the grassroots level; fourth, optimize and adjust tax and fee policies to improve the accuracy, pertinence and effectiveness of the policies.
The so-called improvement of quality and efficiency means that we must work hard in six aspects: implementing tight living requirements, optimizing the structure of fiscal expenditures, strengthening performance management, stricting financial discipline, enhancing fiscal sustainability, and strengthening policy coordination, and vigorously promote scientific financial management. We must use money wisely and at key points to achieve greater results and achieve higher efficiency.
Wang Dongwei emphasized that the focus is mainly on seven aspects of work, which are actually "seven efforts":
First, efforts will be made to support the acceleration of the construction of a modern industrial system. On the one hand, we will make good use of policy tools such as fiscal subsidies, loan interest discounts, and tax incentives, focus on key industrial chains such as new generation information technology and integrated circuits, and promote the resolution of difficult and blocking problems in basic products, core technologies, and key software. On the other hand, it is necessary to give full play to the guiding role of government investment funds such as the Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrading Fund and the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Investment Fund, guide social capital to invest in key manufacturing areas in a market-oriented manner, and cultivate new industry tracks.
The second is to focus on expanding domestic demand. Mainly from two aspects: investment and consumption. From an investment perspective, we need to expand profitable investments. This year we will make good use of relevant treasury bond funds, continue to arrange a certain scale of local government special bonds, appropriately increase the scale of investment within the central budget, and give full play to the driving and amplifying effect of government investment. From the perspective of consumption, consumption with potential must be stimulated. In 2024, we will focus on the direction of upgrading residents' consumption, promote the expansion of new growth points such as culture, tourism, education, and elderly care, increase social security, transfer payments and other adjustments, increase the income of urban and rural residents, and improve their willingness and ability to consume.
The third is to focus on the continuous and in-depth implementation of the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education. Continue to increase investment in education, ensure the implementation of the requirement that we often say "one is generally not lower than the standard, and two are only increased but not reduced", and promote the construction of a high-quality education system. We will fully support the fight against key core technologies, ensure the funding needs for major national science and technology projects, and promote the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
The fourth is to focus on supporting the protection and improvement of people's livelihood. Implement the employment priority policy, coordinate the use of tax exemptions, social security subsidies, loan interest discounts and other policies, and support entrepreneurship and employment through multiple channels. We will improve the multi-level social security system and strengthen classified and hierarchical social assistance security. At the same time, the budget management of the "three guarantees" expenditures and the sinking of financial resources will be strengthened to ensure the bottom line of the "three guarantees" at the grassroots level.
Fifth, efforts will be made to support and promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. Support the implementation of a new round of actions to increase grain production capacity by 100 billion kilograms, improve investment standards for high-standard farmland construction, ensure farmers' income from growing grain, and improve the reward policy for major grain-producing counties. Another important step is to expand the scope of the full cost insurance policy and planting income insurance policy for the three major staple food crops to the whole country to achieve full coverage. It is necessary to improve the ability to ensure food security, which is a very important aspect in implementing the national food security strategy of storing food in the land and storing food in technology. At the same time, we must make good use of the linking funds from the central government to strengthen industrial and employment assistance, and support the consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements. Another very important aspect is to learn and make good use of the experience of the "Ten Million Project" to promote rural construction according to local conditions.
Sixth, efforts will be made to promote urban and rural regional development. Vigorously promote new urbanization and support local governments in promoting the urbanization of agricultural migrant workers. We will further improve fiscal and taxation policies that support the country’s major regional strategies, and increase support for special types of areas such as old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, and border areas.
Seventh, efforts will be made to support and strengthen the construction of ecological civilization. Maintain investment, improve fiscal and taxation policies, cultivate endogenous driving force for green and low-carbon transformation and development, and promote the construction of Beautiful China Pioneer Zone.