Two years ago, Wang Chaobin proposed that farm taxes be reduced. A member of the National Committee of the 10th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), he is now elated that his proposal has been taken up by the central government.

 

"I didn't expect my proposal to be acted upon so soon," Wang said. He put forward his proposal in 2003 when attending the First Session of the 10th CPPCC.

 

When Premier Wen Jiabao announced last March that agricultural tax would be phased out within five years, Wang was pleasantly surprised.

 

"The government's swift response was beyond my expectation, and shows it takes our proposals really seriously," said Wang, who is now attending the Third Session of the 10th CPPCC, which opened Thursday in Beijing.

 

To date, 22 of China's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the mainland have scrapped all farming taxes.

 

"I am totally satisfied with government's response to our proposals and we, CPPCC members, should perform our duty by putting forward more well-studied proposals," said Wang, an entrepreneur from central China's Henan Province.

 

According to Zhang Huaixi, CPPCC vice chairperson, a total of 4,478 proposals were submitted last year, of which 4,263 were taken up for consideration. This is a big jump from 2003 -- the numbers that year were 3,819 and 3,576 respectively.

 

Last year, proposals concerning agriculture numbered 300 while those on employment exceeded 200, according to Zhang, reporting yesterday at the session's opening ceremony.

 

Raising proposals is one of the major ways the 2,304 current members of the CPPCC, the country's top advisory body, participate in state affairs. "Both the Party and the government have paid close attention to many of these proposals," said Zhang.

 

Indeed, many new policy initiatives in recent years were formulated after taking into consideration proposals raised by the CPPCC.

 

One of them is the new green GDP calculation initiative under which environmental costs will be taken into account in economic indicators. This is being piloted in 10 provinces and municipalities.

 

"The CPPCC's proposals should play an even bigger role in reinvigorating the nation," said Zhang, adding that it will take a series of measures to strengthen work on proposals.

 

For example, it will increase proposal tracking to ensure that they are taken seriously or implemented.

 

As for Wang, he is preparing to make another proposal.

 

(China Daily March 4, 2005)