英闻天下——400 Calls for Solutions to Address Income Gap

 　　The growing income gap has been acknowledged of having the tendency to trigger social unrest and hamper¹ economic restructuring at the current meeting of China's top legislature.

 

　　Chi Fulin, president of China Institute of Development and Reform, says increasing the middle class population is the key to the issue.

 

　　"China's middle classes currently make up 23 percent of the total population - that's about 300 million people. Can we increase the rate to 40 percent, which would equal 600 million by 2020? That's a very concrete goal and we need to have an action plan to achieve it."

 

　　However, while he says the middle classes hold the key to great consumption potential, there are still certain obstacles.

 

　　For the average person on the streets, the problems seem to be not enough money to meet rising expenses.

 

　　"The monthly expense is about 14 hundred yuan for me including eating, utility, and rent. And as I'm getting old, I have to leave a certain amount of money for my medical expenses as well. So there's not much left to save."

 

　　"5 thousand, that's the minimum wage to live here in Beijing I think. Food prices are going up while my salary more or less remains² the same. And most of all I have to pay the personal income tax."

 

　　To address the issue, some NPC deputies and political advisors³ have suggested raising the personal income tax threshold to 5 thousand yuan or perhaps even 6 thousand as one of the ways of dealing⁴ with the problem.

 

　　But Jia Kang, director of the Research Institute for Fiscal⁵ Science under the Ministry⁶ of Finance says tax is a vital tool, and the way forward could be by re-assessing the minimum wage as well.

 

　　"The government should respect the market rules of resource allocation whilst creating an environment for fair competition. This includes adjusting the minimum wage standards among different regions properly."

 

　　The income tax exemption⁷ threshold was lifted from a monthly income of 2 thousand yuan or roughly 310 US dollars to 35 hundred yuan in 2011.

 

　　However, Jia says to optimize⁸ the effects of that move, the higher income earners need to pay more.

 

　　"What is more urgent and essential is to break the monopoly of state-owned enterprises, and enhance the transparency of the income distribution rules. Taxation⁹ for high-income people should also be hiked and we should find an efficient way to monitor this group."

 

　　Li Min, the provincial¹⁰ Finance Bureau chief of Guizhou, says another effective way is to let the rural populations enjoy what city dwellers¹¹ already have.

 

　　"We need to raise the expenditure¹² on improving impoverished¹³ people's livelihood¹⁴, to ensure the allowance and subsidies¹⁵ for those who need it the most. This is very important."

 

　　Aside from increasing expenditure on public welfare, suggestions have also been made to reform the land requisition system, treat farmers-turned-workers equally as urban residents and provide their families with social welfare.

 

　　The current thinking seems to be, only when migrant workers enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the city, will they have the ability and desire to spend more freely.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

1 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

8 optimize   

v.使优化 [=optimise]

参考例句：

• We should optimize the composition of the Standing Committees.优化人大常委会组成人员的结构。
• We should optimize our import mix and focus on bringing in advanced technology and key equipment.优化进口结构，着重引进先进技术和关键设备。

9 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

11 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

13 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

15 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》