英闻天下——240 Income Distribution Lacks Timetable and Details: Economists

 　　A number of economists¹ here in China are suggesting the government's newly-unveiled plans to tackle income distribution lack a clear timetable.

 

　　The same economists are also warning the implementation² of the plan, which is designed to bridge the country's widening wealth gap, is not going to be easy.

 

　　CRI's Shen Chengcheng has more.

 

　　The plans approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, includes doubling the average incomes of both urban and rural residents by 2020 from the average in 2010.

 

　　The new plans include a goal of reducing the number of people living below the poverty line by around 80 million as of 2015.

 

　　In 2011 around 128 million people were listed under the poverty line.

 

　　The new plans also include loosening controls on interest rates, a move which is likely to lift the interest income of savers.

 

　　However, Liu Shengjun, vice-director of Lujiazui International Finance Research Center, says the new plans don't say how long this will take to achieve.

 

　　"A problem with the new plans is the lack of a timetable. For example, the idea of easing control of interest rate has been around for many years, but we still don't know how long it will take for us to have a market-oriented interest rate. Another problem with the plans is they don't include detailed³ measures as to how the targets in the plans will be met."

 

　　Liu Shengjun says the new reform plans cover many aspects, but plans will be difficult to be implemented⁴ as some of the reforms hurt interest groups.

 

　　"The plans have mentioned the monopoly of state-owned companies and such monopoly should not exist. The central government has issued the so-called new 36 clauses for a few years now but there have been little improvements. This shows strong objections from interest groups, and we should treat this seriously. We should also work on sensitive issues like inheritance tax."

 

　　The new plans also include a cap on the salaries of managers at state-owned companies and a requirement to raise the percentage of profits contributed by state-owned firms to the government by about 5 percentage points by 2015.

 

　　The government is also set to levy⁵ more taxes on the rich.

 

　　Authorities are also considering bringing in an inheritance tax.

 

　　Earlier this month, the National Bureau of Statistics released the Gini co-efficient, a measure of income disparity, suggesting it had reached 0.47 - well above the 0.4 level considered a trigger for social discontent.

 

　　-

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

3 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

5 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。