The authorities should make better use of taxes to reward the public, says a signed article in Guangzhou Daily. An excerpt follows:

The taxation authorities have reportedly decided to tax prizes won from the scratch-and-win cards.

This is the latest move of the authorities to increase the scope of taxation.

Coincidentally, the Credit Suisse Group, one of the world's leading financial service suppliers, released a survey on the Chinese consumer market in 2006. It found that the average income is growing much more slowly than the gross domestic product and the taxes collected by the State.

The difference in growth rates is a reminder that the authorities should make better use of the taxes to benefit the public.

One of the fundamental purposes of taxation is to improve the public welfare. It is, therefore, a key mission of the government to better manage tax revenue.

A growth in tax revenue means the government has more resources to redistribute social income and boost public well-being. A good management of tax revenue would ultimately benefit the taxpayers. This should win their support even though taxes are relatively high.

One of the steps for the authorities is to subsidize public services, lowering or even eliminating fees for public facilities and services. This is a good way to guarantee social fairness and reward taxpayers.

Pitifully, China still has a long way to go.

(China Daily March 27, 2007)