国务院减少税费所采取的措施

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.

前段时间，国务院总理李克强在政府工作报告中指出，2016年政府赤字预计为2.18万亿元(3350亿美元)，与去年相比增加5600亿人民币。中国还将2016年赤字目标提高到GDP的3%，以期支撑政府开支，减轻企业的税收负担。

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.

就减少税费问题，国务院已经召开了几次会议讨论相关战略规划。让我们看看今年以来减少税费所采取的一系列措施。

1. Value-added tax reform

增值税改革

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，上海运输和某些服务业试点营业税改为增值税，并逐渐覆盖更多的行业和领域。

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日开始，政府将该政策扩展并覆盖到建筑业、房地产业、金融业和消费服务行业。这是基于收入征税的最后四个行业。

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

国家税务总局估计，2016年全国范围内，此次改革能够为企业节省5000亿元(749亿美元)。

2. Reducing rate of pension and housing provident funds

降低养老保险和住房公积金费率

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.

根据政府4月13日举行的常务会议，从5月1日起，以前规定的养老保险、失业保险和住房公积金费率将在未来的两年内降低。

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.

在该政策下，企业职工基本养老保险单位缴费比例超过20%的省份，将缴费比例降至20%，拥有充足基金的省份可以降低到19%。此外，失业保险的费率由现行的2%阶段性降至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减轻企业的负担。人力资源和社会保障部估计，政策到位后每年将为企业节省386亿元。

3. Further cutting government funds

进一步削减政府基金

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

根据1月27日举行的政府常务会议，中国将进一步削减政府基金以减轻公众负担,。

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.

政府二月份上旬改进和优化了13项政府基金。此类行动将为企业和个人减少260亿元(39.6亿美元)的财政负担。

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.

未经授权的政府性基金将被废除;一些政府性基金的征收费用将被暂停，其中一些基金将被整合。

4. Extending exemption of administrative charges

扩大行政收费的免征范围

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，财政部和国家发展和改革委员会共同发布了一个通知，扩大18项行政事业性收费免征范围。

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.

根据该通知，从5月1日起，将现行对小微企业免征的18项行政事业性收费的免征范围扩大到所有企业和个人，包括国内植物检疫费用、新兽药批准费用等。

5. Reducing price of electricity

降低电价

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，国家发展改革委(NDRC)宣布，已经将燃煤发电的上网电价和工商业零售用电价格平均每千瓦时下调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.

国家发展改革委正在考虑新一轮的降价，终端用户中工商业零售用电价格以及重工业用电价格每千瓦时将平均减少0.0105元和0.011元。

6. Cutting bank card transaction fees

削减银行卡交易费用

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.

中国央行3月份表示，将削减商户支付银行卡交易的费用。中国人民银行官网表示，该行动于9月6日生效，一年内将为商户减少支付费用74亿元(合11.4亿美元)。

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.

未来政策下，发卡银行不能收取商户超过0.35%的借记卡交易金额，信用卡交易时不能超过刷卡金额的0.45%。