Full text: Report on China's central, local budgets (19)

3) Central government tax rebates and transfer payments to local governments

Central government tax rebates and transfer payments to local governments will reach 4.8857 trillion yuan, up 7.7%. Of this amount, general transfer payments will account for 2.453835 trillion yuan, up 14.3%, and special transfer payments will account for 1.926586 trillion yuan, up 2.5%. General transfer payments designed to equalize access to basic public services will reach 981.225 billion yuan, up 14.3%, which includes 152.5 billion yuan in awards and subsidies for implementing the mechanism to ensure basic funding for county-level governments, up 41.9%; 42.3 billion yuan for key ecological zones, up 14%; and 31.825 billion yuan in awards to major grain-producing counties, up 15%. General transfer payments to old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, and border areas will total 62.19 billion yuan, up 11.2%.

4) Overview of the central budget stabilization fund

The central budget stabilization fund had a balance of 106.978 billion yuan after the transfer of 270 billion yuan to the budget at the beginning of 2012, and it was replenished with surplus revenue of 18.415 billion yuan during implementation of the budget, leaving a balance of 125.393 billion yuan at the end of the year. Following the transfer of 100 billion yuan to the budget in early 2013, 25.393 billion yuan remains.

An analysis of the above expenditures shows that in 2013 the central government will spend a total of 1.57125 trillion yuan, an increase of 13.5% over the budgeted figure and 9.6% over the actual figure, in areas that directly affect people's lives, namely education, medical and health care, social security, employment, government-subsidized housing, and culture. Central government spending on public transportation, energy conservation, environmental protection, community affairs, and other areas closely related to people's lives will amount to 1.715003 trillion yuan. Appropriations from the central budget for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers will total 1.3799 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.4%. This figure consists of 542.683 billion yuan used to support agricultural production; 170.055 billion yuan in direct subsidies to grain growers, general subsidies for purchasing agricultural supplies, and subsidies for purchasing superior crop varieties and agricultural machinery; 605.112 billion yuan for the development of rural education, health care, and other social programs; and 62.05 billion yuan for expenses related to stockpiling agricultural products and associated interest payments. Most central government tax rebates and general transfer payments to local governments will also be used to maintain and improve the quality of people's lives and benefit agriculture, rural areas, and farmers.

It should be noted that spending on improving quality of life and on agriculture, rural areas, and farmers does not constitute a single budgetary item. For ease of deliberation, we have combined all spending items concerned, so there is some overlap in the statement of expenditures.