Full Text: Report on central, local budgets

8) The appropriation for spending on land, resources, and meteorology is 33.625 billion yuan, an increase of 9.187 billion yuan or 37.6%. This is due to a considerable increase in revenue from fees for mineral prospecting and mining rights and from mineral resource compensation fees, which are required by relevant regulations to be used exclusively for exploring and utilizing mineral resources and improving the geological environment in mining areas. This figure consists of 13.132 billion yuan of central government spending and 20.493 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments.

9) The appropriation for environmental protection spending is 141.288 billion yuan, an increase of 26.108 billion yuan or 22.7%. This figure consists of 5.526 billion yuan of central government spending and 135.762 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 83.3 billion yuan for energy conservation and pollution reduction to promote the development of low-carbon technology; support retrofitting energy-conserving technology, retiring backward production facilities, making buildings more energy-efficient, and developing motor vehicles powered by new energy sources; expand the project to promote products that conserve energy and benefit the people to include energy-efficient air-conditioners and electric motors; strengthen heavy-metal pollution treatment and prevention, and control water pollution in major watersheds; improve environmental monitoring and supervision; build sewer lines to complement urban wastewater and garbage treatment facilities and carry out major pollution reduction projects; and help improve all aspects of the rural environment and carry out rural ecology demonstration projects. We have appropriated 10.9 billion yuan to implement the Golden Sun Project to promote the development of renewable energy. We have appropriated 36.526 billion yuan to invigorate major forestry projects, improve the ecosystems of grasslands, and consolidate the results achieved in returning farmland to forests. We will encourage imports of key energies, resources, and raw and semi-finished materials, and strictly control exports of resource products and products whose production is energy-intensive and highly polluting. We will support the implementation of the National Climate Change Program.

10) The appropriation for spending on transportation and transport is 211.919 billion yuan, down 2.7%. The main reason for this decrease is lower spending on the construction of railroads, expressways, and airports. This figure consists of 128.874 billion yuan of central government spending and 83.045 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 132.3 billion yuan, an increase of 17.5 billion yuan, to build rural roads, national and provincial trunk highways and other public transportation infrastructure; and 300,000 kilometers of rural highways will be built or upgraded this year. We will continue to provide fuel price subsidies for urban public transport and some public service industries. We have appropriated 26 billion yuan in subsidies for local governments to phase out tolls on government-financed Grade II highways, and 12.5 billion yuan to build railroads, expressways, and airports, a decrease of 14.06 billion yuan.

11) The appropriation for spending on resource exploration, electricity, and information is 69.612 billion yuan, down 18.2%. This reduction is largely because less income from selling power-related assets will be used to cover some of these expenses. This figure consists of 43.244 billion yuan of central government spending and 26.368 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 42.8 billion yuan for the construction of infrastructure for resource exploration, electricity, and information. We have appropriated 9.37 billion yuan exclusively to promote the development of all kinds of small and medium-sized enterprises (adding funds for developing these enterprises listed in other parts of the budget raises the total amount to 10.57 billion yuan). We will encourage the use of newly developed important technological equipment that is manufactured domestically.

12) The appropriation for spending on managing reserves of grain, edible oil, and other materials is 107.841 billion yuan, down 4.4%. This decrease is mainly due to postponing payment for policy-supported grain purchases bought on credit. This figure consists of 78.161 billion yuan of central government spending and 29.68 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 23.6 billion yuan for grain risk funds to improve the policy on these funds and continue to increase central government subsidies in this area. We have appropriated 10 billion yuan to raise the floor prices of rice and wheat. We have also appropriated 65.71 billion yuan to pay interest and costs incurred from increasing the reserves of grain, edible oil, petroleum, nonferrous metals, and other important materials.