Full Text: Report on central, local budgets

4) The appropriation for medical and health care spending is 138.918 billion yuan, an increase of 11.204 billion yuan or 8.8%, and 2.5 percentage points higher than the average increase in total expenditures in the central budget. This figure consists of 4.331 billion yuan of central government spending and 134.587 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 126.82 billion yuan to support the reform of the pharmaceutical and healthcare systems. We will further raise the participation rate in the new type of rural cooperative medical care system and basic medical insurance for non-working urban residents, and raise the subsidy from 80 yuan to 120 yuan per person per annum. We will strengthen medical assistance in urban and rural areas. We will improve the funding system for urban and rural basic public health services, and continue to carry out major public health service projects. We will support implementation of the basic drug system in 60% of community-based medical and health care institutions. We will promote the trial reform of public hospitals, and improve the community-based medical and health care service system. We will also promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine.

5) The appropriation for social security and employment spending is 358.225 billion yuan, an increase of 28.559 billion yuan or 8.7%, and 2.4 percentage points higher than the average increase in total expenditures in the central budget. This figure consists of 30.797 billion yuan of central government spending and 327.428 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 318.508 billion yuan to social security, an increase of 27.933 billion yuan or 9.6%. We have appropriated 7 billion yuan in subsidies to carry out trials of a new rural old-age insurance system and gradually carry forward the pilot reform of old-age insurance in institutions. We have appropriated 156.1 billion yuan to subsidize old-age insurance funds of enterprises to raise the basic pensions of retirees, implement a national unified method for transferring basic old-age insurance policies of enterprise employees, and consolidate the overall planning system for old-age pensions at the provincial level. We have appropriated 63.3 billion yuan in subsidies to increase urban and rural subsistence allowances. We have appropriated 21.3 billion yuan in subsidies to raise benefits for entitled groups. Eight billion yuan in subsidies has also been appropriated to continue carrying out policy-mandated closures or bankruptcies of state-owned enterprises.

We have appropriated 39.717 billion yuan of employment funds for continuing to implement a more active employment policy (adding employment funding listed in other parts of the budget raises the total amount to 43.267 billion yuan). Policies to support employment that would have expired at the end of 2009 will be extended for one year and will be adjusted and improved based on changes in the employment situation. We will encourage college graduates to take jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises, at the community level, and in the central and western regions. We will encourage people to find jobs on their own and start their own businesses. We will support skills training, create public service jobs, and provide greater assistance to low- and zero-employment households.

6) The appropriation for housing spending is 99.258 billion yuan, up 1.4%. This figure consists of 37.658 billion yuan of central government spending and 61.6 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 63.2 billion yuan for low-income housing, an increase of 8.144 billion yuan or 14.8%, which will be used to build more low-rent and other low-income housing; resolve the housing problems of 3.75 million low-income urban families; renovate run-down areas in cities, in forests, on reclaimed land, and near coalmines; carry out trials on renovating ramshackle houses in rural areas; and build permanent housing for nomads in ethnic minority areas. We have appropriated 36.058 billion yuan for housing reform, a decrease of 6.818 billion yuan. This decrease is largely due to a smaller number of demobilized soldiers and retirees being entitled to housing allowances.

7) The appropriation for spending on agriculture, forestry, and water conservancy is 377.894 billion yuan, an increase of 26.77 billion yuan or 7.6%, and 1.3 percentage points higher than the average increase in total expenditures in the central budget. This figure consists of 32.195 billion yuan of central government spending and 345.699 billion yuan of transfer payments to local governments. We have appropriated 83.5 billion yuan in general subsidies for agricultural supplies. We have appropriated 20.4 billion yuan to subsidize the purchase of superior varieties of crops, introduce subsidies for planting superior varieties of highland barley, carry forward the pilot program for subsidizing the purchase of superior varieties of peanuts, and gradually improve implementation procedures. We have appropriated 14.49 billion yuan to improve the system of subsidies for purchasing agricultural machinery and tools, and for increasing the scope of subsidies and extending them to more types of machinery and tools. We have appropriated 8 billion yuan to stimulate the development of modern agriculture and industries with unique local advantages. We will support implementation of the plan to increase grain production capacity by 50 million tons nationwide. We have appropriated 19 billion yuan for overall agricultural development to improve average- and poor-yield farmland, nurture high-yield farmland, promote industrialized agricultural operations, and improve the overall grain and agricultural production capacity, with the focus on main grain-producing areas. We have appropriated 22.23 billion yuan to poverty alleviation and development in rural areas. We have appropriated 10.32 billion yuan to subsidize insurance premiums for crops, breeding pigs, and dairy cows. We have appropriated 115.01 billion yuan to strengthen agricultural infrastructure, specifically to finish reinforcing large and medium-sized reservoirs, build auxiliary facilities, and upgrade water-saving equipment in large and medium-sized irrigated areas, and upgrade rural power grids. We will further increase the number of designated counties where small water conservancy facilities will be built, and expand the area in which major national water and soil conservation projects are built. We will continue to carry out methane projects in rural areas, and make drinking water safe for 60 million rural people. We will improve the system of operating expenses in village-level organizations, comprehensively clear up and pay off debts incurred from providing compulsory education in rural areas, and improve the government award and subsidy system for village-level public works projects, the launching of which is determined by the villagers through deliberation.