Premier Wen: 10 economic missions for the second half of the year

Chinese premier Wen Jiabao addressed high-ranking officials at an executive meeting of State Council, China's cabinet, July 14, 2004.

An executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao on Junly 14 highlighted 10 tasks to be fulfilled for the second half of the year to maintain the sustainable, fast, harmonious and healthy development of China's national economy.

--- More grain, more income, less damages Policies and measures to have better harvest and bring more income but less burden to farmers should be carried out and improved. Reform on grain circulation system and rural tax system should be pushed forward. The immediate task is to get well-equipped for possible flood and help areas hit by natural disasters .

--- Money supply Make sure both the total amount and the structure of loans are reasonable. Access to working capital should be open to enterprises which have bright prospect of market and returns and create new job opportunities. Projects in compliance with the national industrial policies and market access thresholds will also get support from banks.

--- More back-up to the weak chain in the economic and social development. Measures to realize the strategy of Developing West China and revitalizing the old northeast industrial rusty belt should be implemented.

--- A clean sweep of fixed assets investment. No time should be wasted in it and careful handling of follow-ups is absolutely necessary. The national industrial policy urged to be optimized soon will specify industries to be boosted and restrained. Guidelines on market access should be formulated and made public as early as possible.

--- Land market. The target of the clear-the-decks campaign in the land market underway nationally should be met. Land for key projects approved by the State Council explicitly should be guaranteed. The establishment of a new regime for land management should be accelerated.

--- Coordination of coal, power, oil and transportation. Tight supply of energy and transportation should be eased off and production security should be safeguarded.

--- Expansion of consumption market. Domestic consumption needs more stimulus and guiding. The issue of employment and social insurance also ask for more attention and efforts. And make sure peasant workers get their delayed paid salaries in good time.

--- Open wider to the rest of the world. The focus, understandably, is on import and export and the use of foreign capital.

--- Further reform on the economic system. The program of reform on the investment system should be in place as early as possible. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are expected to gather more momentum for their reform. Studies and formulation of policies and measures should be sped up to prop up and lead the economic sector under non-public ownership. A better regularized market order is expected to be there as a result of continued rectifying. The campaign launched to assure the food safety should go on further and completely.

--- Protection of the public interests. Much importance should be attached to issues which involve direct interests of people, especially problems in the demolition and relocation of urban residential blocks and land expropriation. Social stability must be maintained.

At the meeting, Premier Wen confirmed that the macro-control efforts have generated evident effects and the national economy is running steadily and rapidly. But he also warned that prominent problems in the economic operation have not been fundamentally solved. He required persistent efforts and no relaxation or giving up halfway.

By People's Daily Online