China mulls tax, household registration, judicial reforms

BEIJING - China's Leading Group for Overall Reform convened its third meeting on Friday, deliberating plans for fiscal and household registration systems.

The meeting, presided over by President Xi Jinping, also approved a framework for pilot programs of judicial reform, a work program on judicial reform in Shanghai, and a plan to set up special courts on intellectual property rights (IPR).

Xi said during the meeting that reform should be "better targeted and more effective", beginning with concrete issues and aim at prominent problems and conflicts.

"We must give preference to those measures that can stabilize growth, adjust structure, improve livelihoods and prevent risks," said the President.

Fiscal reform

Xi called for "active and steady" fiscal reform. Rather than overcoming temporary difficulties, long-term, systematic reconstruction of fiscal mechanisms is required.

The main objectives are ensuring a clear division of power, reform of the tax system and stabilizing the tax burden, transparent budgeting, and improved efficiency.

The reform will speed up construction of a modern fiscal system to help transform the economic development pattern, build a fair and unified market, and promote equal access to basic public services.

Xi expects a fiscal system to serve the initiatives of both central and local governments while clarifying the responsibilities of the two according to their financial strengths.