國務院減少稅費所采取的措施

The government deficit for 2016 is projected to be 2.18 trillion yuan ($335 billion), an increase of 560 billion yuan over last year, Premier Li Keqiang earlier said in this year's government workreport. China also raised its 2016 deficit target to 3 percent of GDP, in an effort to bolster government spending and ease enterprises' tax burden.

前段時間，國務院總理李克強在政府工作報告中指出，2016年政府赤字預計為2.18萬億元(3350億美元)，與去年相比增加5600億人民幣。中國還將2016年赤字目標提高到GDP的3%，以期支撐政府開支，減輕企業(yè)的稅收負擔。

In terms of reducing taxes and fees, the State Council has held several meetings to discuss related strategic planning. Let's take a look at a list of measures taken to reduce taxes and fees so far this year.

就減少稅費問題，國務院已經召開了幾次會議討論相關戰(zhàn)略規(guī)劃。讓我們看看今年以來減少稅費所采取的一系列措施。

1. Value-added tax reform

增值稅改革

A business tax to value-added tax pilot began with transportation and certain service industries inShanghai in 2012, and has been gradually expanded to cover more sectors and areas.

2012年起，上海運輸和某些服務業(yè)試點營業(yè)稅改為增值稅，并逐漸覆蓋更多的行業(yè)和領域。

Beginning May 1, the government extended the policy to cover the construction, real estate,finance and consumer services sectors. They were the last four sectors still taxed based on their revenue.

5月1日開始，政府將該政策擴展并覆蓋到建筑業(yè)、房地產業(yè)、金融業(yè)和消費服務行業(yè)。這是基于收入征稅的最后四個行業(yè)。

Nationwide, the country expects the reform to save businesses 500 billion yuan ($74.9 billion) in2016, the State Administration of Taxation estimated.

國家稅務總局估計，2016年全國范圍內，此次改革能夠為企業(yè)節(jié)省5000億元(749億美元)。

2. Reducing rate of pension and housing provident funds

降低養(yǎng)老保險和住房公積金費率

According to a government routine meeting held on April 13, the required contribution rates of the pension insurance, unemployment insurance and housing provident funds will be lowered in a two-year period starting May 1.

根據(jù)政府4月13日舉行的常務會議，從5月1日起，以前規(guī)定的養(yǎng)老保險、失業(yè)保險和住房公積金費率將在未來的兩年內降低。

Under the policy, enterprises that contribute more than 20 percent of the pension insurance payment can reduce the rate to 20 percent, while those in provinces that see sufficient funds can lower the rate to 19 percent. In addition, the rate of the unemployment insurance will range between 1 percent and 1.5 percent, down from the previous 2 percent.

在該政策下，企業(yè)職工基本養(yǎng)老保險單位繳費比例超過20%的省份，將繳費比例降至20%，擁有充足基金的省份可以降低到19%。此外，失業(yè)保險的費率由現(xiàn)行的2%階段性降至1%~1.5%。

The new policy's biggest effect is to relieve the burden on businesses. The Ministry of HumanResources and Social Security estimated it will save businesses 38.6 billion yuan a year, if the measures are put in place.

新政策最大的作用是減輕企業(yè)的負擔。人力資源和社會保障部估計，政策到位后每年將為企業(yè)節(jié)省386億元。

3. Further cutting government funds

進一步削減政府基金

China will further cut government funds to reduce financial burden on the public, according to agovernment routine meeting held on Jan 27.

根據(jù)1月27日舉行的政府常務會議，中國將進一步削減政府基金以減輕公眾負擔,。

The government reduction streamlined and optimized a total of 13 government funds in early February. Moves of such kind will reduce financial burdens worth 26 billion yuan ($3.96 billion) for enterprises and individuals this year.

政府二月份上旬改進和優(yōu)化了13項政府基金。此類行動將為企業(yè)和個人減少260億元(39.6億美元)的財政負擔。

Government-managed funds set up without authorization will be abolished; the collection of contributions to certain government-managed funds will be suspended, and some of these funds will be consolidated.

未經授權的政府性基金將被廢除;一些政府性基金的征收費用將被暫停，其中一些基金將被整合。

4. Extending exemption of administrative charges

擴大行政收費的免征范圍

On April 28, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commissionjointly released a notice on expanding the exemption scope of 18 administrative charge items.

4月28日，財政部和國家發(fā)展和改革委員會共同發(fā)布了一個通知，擴大18項行政事業(yè)性收費免征范圍。

According to the document, beginning May 1, exemptions from 18 administrative charges which currently apply only to small and micro businesses will be expanded to include all enterprises andindividuals, including domestic plant quarantine fee, new veterinary drug approval fee and etc.

根據(jù)該通知，從5月1日起，將現(xiàn)行對小微企業(yè)免征的18項行政事業(yè)性收費的免征范圍擴大到所有企業(yè)和個人，包括國內植物檢疫費用、新獸藥批準費用等。

5. Reducing price of electricity

降低電價

On Dec 30, 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced that it had lowered the on-grid tariff for coal-fired power generation and retail tariff paid by commercial land industrial customers by an average of 0.03 yuan per kilowatt-hour, effective January 1, 2016.

2015年12月30日，國家發(fā)展改革委(NDRC)宣布，已經將燃煤發(fā)電的上網(wǎng)電價和工商業(yè)零售用電價格平均每千瓦時下調0.03元，2016年1月1日起生效。

The NDRC is also considering a new round of tariff cut, in which retail tariff paid by commercial and industrial end users and heavy industrial power users will be cut by an average of 0.0105yuan and 0.011 yuan per kilowatt-hour respectively.

國家發(fā)展改革委正在考慮新一輪的降價，終端用戶中工商業(yè)零售用電價格以及重工業(yè)用電價格每千瓦時將平均減少0.0105元和0.011元。

6. Cutting bank card transaction fees

削減銀行卡交易費用

China's central bank said in March that it will cut the fees merchants pay for bank card transactions. The action, to take effect on Sept 6, will result in a 7.4 billion yuan ($1.14 billion) cuting the fees merchants pay in a year, the People's Bank of China said on its website.

中國央行3月份表示，將削減商戶支付銀行卡交易的費用。中國人民銀行官網(wǎng)表示，該行動于9月6日生效，一年內將為商戶減少支付費用74億元(合11.4億美元)。

Under the coming policy, card-issuing banks cannot charge merchants more than 0.35 percent ofa transaction amount for debit cards, while credit card transactions cannot incur a charge exceeding 0.45 percent of the amount swiped.

未來政策下，發(fā)卡銀行不能收取商戶超過0.35%的借記卡交易金額，信用卡交易時不能超過刷卡金額的0.45%。