China's tariff revenues hit a record 201 billion yuan (US$24.3 billion) during the first 11 months of this year due to a series of effective policies and intensified nationwide crackdowns on smuggling, official sources announced Wednesday.
By the end of November, tariff revenues were up 56.3 billion yuan (US$6.8 billion), an increase of 38.9 percent year-on-year, said customs authorities.
One of the most important factors enlarging the sources of tariffs and increasing the surge has been the execution of government policies expanding domestic demand and exports.
During the first 10 months of this year, the volume of China's imports reached 182 billion yuan (US$22.1 billion), representing a 38 percent year-on-year increase.
Meanwhile, enterprises' awareness of paying taxes have been improved along with China's rectification of import and export trade and a crackdown on smuggling.
Some 10,000 smuggling cases, involving 7.36 billion yuan (US$89 million), were concluded in the first 10 months of this year, with nearly 3,670 suspects being charged under the Customs Law.
Customs authorities have also intensified their supervision of foreign trade to ensure the collection of tariffs.
Some smuggle-prone export and import companies have been closed down as their administration rules failed to meet the demand of customs inspections.
To strengthen customs' examination and supervision of various export and import channels, a computer-based network has been adopted throughout China's customs offices.
(China Daily 12/07/2000)