The new programs will be rolled out in the next few years and will equip people with more understanding of science issues and boost their physical health.

Scientists with the Key Science and Technology under the National Task Force for SARS Control and Prevention said this year's SARS outbreak showed that greater stress was needed on educating the public how to prevent epidemics in future.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology are drafting a plan to popularize knowledge of how to prevent SARS, hepatitis and other epidemics among the public.

Li Yongwei, a Ministry of Science and Technology official in charge of science popularization, did not elaborate on the plan.

To support the promotion of scientific knowledge among the public, the Ministry of Finance and other relevant departments have implemented a preferential taxation policy.

Popular science centers such as scientific museums, planetaria, observatories, and research institutions open to the public, will be exempt from tariffs and value-added taxes when they buy films and videotapes from overseas agencies.

Overseas institutions that transfer relevant broadcasting copyrights will be exempt from business taxes.

It is the first preferential taxation policy that aims to widen public understanding of science since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.

The country's taxation policies have given some support to the understanding of science among the public in past years.

But they were too weak for science to be promoted to the entire population, said Xu Yongxian, an official with the Ministry of Finance.

Publishers of scientific and technological newspapers and radio and video products will be exempt from valued-added taxes. In previous years, 13 percent of value-added taxes were collected from these publishers.

Latest statistics reveal China has 425 scientific museums, with 336 in the better-developed eastern area with the remaining 89 located in the relatively backward western area.

(China Daily June 30, 2003)