People's Daily Online, Beijing, February 1 (Fang Jinglun, intern Zhao Ruonan) On February 1, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the fiscal revenue and expenditure for 2023. At the meeting, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Finance answered reporters' questions regarding issues such as the construction of a modern industrial system, food security, technological innovation and other areas of concern to the society.
Support the acceleration of the construction of a modern industrial system
Wang Dongwei, Vice Minister of Finance, introduced that in 2023, the central government will adopt a series of targeted measures to support the acceleration of the construction of a modern industrial system supported by the real economy. The following main measures have been adopted:
Accelerate the development of strategic emerging industries. Introduce a policy of additional VAT deductions for advanced manufacturing enterprises, improve support policies such as special fiscal funds for the manufacturing industry, government investment funds, and insurance compensation for the first batch of units (sets), and accelerate the advancement of key technologies and key industries to strengthen weak links. items, improve the resilience and safety level of industrial and supply chains, and give birth to new industries, new models, and new drivers.
Accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Through the central government's special funds for manufacturing, we will increase support for new generation information technology and industrial Internet platforms to provide technical support for the digital transformation of traditional industries. Arrange 3 billion yuan to support the launch of urban pilot projects for the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises. The first batch of 30 pilot cities has been selected to guide local governments to strengthen policy coordination and promote the in-depth integration of the digital economy and the real economy.
Vigorously promote the development of enterprise specialization and innovation. Continue to implement the "Specialized, Specialized, Special and New" financial reward and subsidy policy for small and medium-sized enterprises to guide and improve the innovation capabilities and professional level of small and medium-sized enterprises. By the end of 2023, it will drive the cultivation of more than 12,000 national-level specialized, special and new “little giant” enterprises and more than 100,000 provincial-level specialized, special and new enterprises. At the same time, give full play to the role of the National Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund and mobilize social capital to jointly support the innovative development of growing small and medium-sized enterprises in the seed and start-up stages.
In 2024, the Ministry of Finance will focus on vigorously promoting new industrialization and enhancing the core competitiveness of industries, continue to give full play to the leading role of fiscal funds, give full play to the credit-enhancing and leveraging role of government investment funds, support the accelerated development and growth of strategic emerging industries, and promote Accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, promote the accelerated cultivation and development of new industrial tracks, and effectively and effectively serve the construction of a modern industrial system.
Provide strong support for national food security
Li Xianzhong, Director of the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, said that in 2023, the central government has always regarded ensuring national food security as the top priority of fiscal support for agriculture, providing strong and effective support for the national grain output to reach a new record high.
On the one hand, policy supply should be optimized to lay a solid foundation for food security. Optimize and adjust central agriculture-related transfer payment policies. For example, the establishment of grain and oil production guarantee funds is mainly used to support the construction of centralized rice seedling cultivation facilities, including soybean and corn strip compound planting.
Effectively give full play to the role of fiscal funds as the main channel, thoroughly implement the strategy of "hoarding food in the land, storing food in technology", arrange 92 billion yuan to support the construction and renovation of 80 million acres of high-standard farmland, actively promote the protection and utilization of black soil, and launch the saline-alkali land development project. Comprehensive utilization pilot. Support the implementation of actions to revitalize the seed industry and vigorously improve the level of agricultural mechanization.
Continuously improve the "trinity" policy system of price, subsidies and insurance. Raise the minimum purchase price of wheat, stably implement farmland fertility protection subsidies and rice subsidies, increase support for major grain-producing counties, and expand the coverage of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for the three major grain crops to all major grain-producing counties across the country.
Improve the diversified investment mechanism, give full play to the leveraging role of finance, and actively guide financial and social capital to participate in investment. A pilot program for loan interest discounts for high-standard farmland was launched.
On the other hand, financial support will be strengthened around key nodes in grain production. At the critical time of spring plowing and production, in order to stabilize farmers’ expectations and reduce the cost of growing grain, a one-time agricultural input subsidy of 10 billion yuan was arranged for farmers actually growing grain.
In order to prevent summer grain wheat from pests and diseases, dry and hot winds, and lodging, 1.6 billion yuan has been allocated to support the implementation of "one spray and three prevention" in major wheat-producing areas.
In response to the "bad rain" in Henan and other places, as well as the impact of typhoons and floods in some areas of North China and Northeast China, we accelerated the allocation of disaster relief funds to support wheat harvesting and drying and the early resumption of agricultural production in disaster-stricken areas, effectively reducing food losses due to disasters.
During the important stage of the formation of autumn grain production, 2.4 billion yuan will be allocated to support key areas in the north to implement the "one spray, multiple boost" operation of corn and soybeans to help increase autumn grain production and harvest.
In 2024, the central government will appropriately increase the level of central and provincial investment subsidies for high-standard farmland construction, continue to support the revitalization of the seed industry and the action of agricultural machinery and equipment to make up for shortcomings, as well as agricultural socialization services, and explore the establishment of inter-provincial horizontal interests in grain production and marketing areas. Compensation mechanism, improve diversified investment mechanisms, and strengthen supervision of fund use and policy implementation to better ensure national food security.
Promote scientific and technological innovation and vigorously develop new productive forces
Wang Dongwei introduced that from 2018 to 2023, fiscal science and technology expenditure increased from 832.7 billion yuan to 1.0567 billion yuan, with an average annual growth of 6.4%. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance also comprehensively uses policy tools such as tax incentives, government procurement, asset management, and fiscal finance to vigorously support scientific and technological innovation.
In 2024, the financial department will take more powerful and effective measures to promote the construction of a modern industrial system led by scientific and technological innovation and vigorously develop new productive forces. In terms of policy orientation, four “focuses” must be achieved:
Focus on strengthening the main role of enterprises in innovation. We will implement structural tax and fee reduction policies and focus on supporting technological innovation and manufacturing development. Give full play to the leveraging role of financial funds, promote more investment of financial resources and social capital in scientific and technological innovation, and promote the accumulation of various innovative resources in enterprises.
Pay attention to the role of demand traction. It is necessary to make good use of the advantages of the domestic ultra-large-scale market, make greater efforts to promote the iteration of the application of innovative results, implement and improve the insurance compensation policy for the first (set) of major technical equipment and the first application of new materials, and break the initial application bottleneck in a market-oriented manner.
Focus on improving the resilience and safety level of industrial and supply chains. Integrate and optimize relevant financial projects, focus on key industrial chains, and support efforts to break through a number of shortcomings and weak technologies. We will implement the financial support policy for small and medium-sized enterprises that are “specialized, specialized, special and innovative”, and encourage more companies to focus on market segments and follow the path of “specialized, specialized, special innovative”.
Focus on stimulating the vitality of scientific researchers. There are two relatively important reform pilots in this regard. One is to support the advancement of the pilot reform of the salary system of universities and scientific research institutes, and the other is to accelerate the pilot reform of the ownership or long-term use rights of professional scientific and technological achievements to fully mobilize scientific research. Motivation and creativity of personnel.
In terms of the use of funds, we must focus on deepening the reform of the allocation and use mechanism of fiscal science and technology funds to achieve the "top four":
Strong foundation. Increase investment in basic research, applied basic research and cutting-edge research to support the improvement of original innovation capabilities.
Strong attack. We will vigorously support ensuring that we win the battle against key core technologies, support the layout of a number of major national science and technology projects, and accelerate the seizing of the commanding heights of science and technology.
Strong force. Focus on national laboratories, national scientific research institutions, high-level research universities, and leading scientific and technological enterprises to support the strengthening of national strategic scientific and technological capabilities.
Strong performance. Strengthen the coordination of projects, funds, talents, and base innovation resources, comprehensively strengthen performance management, and strive to improve the effectiveness of the use of science and technology funds.