2. Work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers was intensified. Steady progress was made in building a new socialist countryside. Central government budgetary spending on agriculture, rural areas and farmers reached 339.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 42.2 billion yuan. We rescinded the agricultural tax and taxes on special agricultural products nationwide, ending a tax that had been collected on grain farmers in China for more than 2,600 years. We continued to increase direct subsidies to grain farmers for producing grain and subsidies for growing superior seed varieties and purchasing agricultural machinery and tools, and followed a policy of granting general subsidies for agricultural production supplies. In addition, we continued the minimum purchase price policy for key grain varieties in major grain-producing areas and increased transfer payments to counties and townships with financial difficulties and major grain-producing counties. Despite serious natural disasters, the output of major agricultural products increased steadily. Grain output reached 497.46 million tons, registering the third consecutive annual increase. We worked harder to develop rural infrastructure, including roads, water conservancy, electricity and communications, and made safe drinking water available to another 28.97 million rural residents and the use of methane available to an additional 4.5 million rural families, thereby improving working and living conditions in rural areas. We made continued progress in reducing rural poverty through development, lifting 2.17 million rural people out of poverty. We formulated and implemented policies and measures to address the difficulties rural migrant workers in cities face and strengthened protection of their legitimate rights and interests by addressing the problems of low wages and unpaid wages, standardizing labor management pursuant to the law, improving job training and expanding the social safety net.
(二)加大“三农”工作力度。稳步推进社会主义新农村建设。全年中央财政用于“三农”支出3397亿元,比上年增加422亿元。在全国范围内取消了农业税和农业特产税,终结了延续2600多年农民种田交税的历史。继续增加对种粮农民直接补贴、良种补贴和农机具购置补贴,实施农业生产资料综合补贴政策,继续对重点地区的重点粮食品种实行最低收购价政策,增加对财政困难县乡和产粮大县的转移支付。在自然灾害较重的情况下,主要农产品产量稳步增加。全年粮食产量达到49746万吨,实现了连续三年增产。农村道路、水利、电力、通信等基础设施建设得到加强,又有2897万农村人口解决了安全饮水问题,新增450万农村沼气用户,农民的生产生活条件继续改善。农村扶贫开发工作取得新进展,农村贫困人口减少217万人。制定并实施解决农民工问题的政策措施,从解决工资偏低和拖欠、依法规范劳动管理、加强就业培训和社会保障等方面,维护了农民工的合法权益。
3. Adjustment of the economic structure was accelerated. We formulated policies and measures to accelerate the development of the equipment manufacturing industry and promoted independent development of major technologies and independent production of major equipment in key areas. We began to independently manufacture mega kilowatt nuclear power generators, ultra-supercritical thermal power generating units and new types of ships, and launched major projects such as those to produce high-grade digitally controlled machine tools and key manufacturing equipment. We also formulated and implemented policies and measures to carry out structural adjustments in 11 industries, including the steel, coal and cement industries. As a result, there was significant decline in the growth rate of investment in some industries with surplus production capacity and total investment for new planned projects dropped significantly. We closed down backward coal production facilities totaling 110 million tons in capacity and electrolytic aluminum production facilities totaling 1.2 million tons. A number of projects vital to China's economy were completed and put into operation and some others were started. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway was opened to traffic, all generating units at the Three Gorges Left Power Station were completed and put into operation, and construction of the Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River began. All this will play an important role in sustaining economic development.
(三)加快经济结构调整。制定了加快振兴装备制造业的政策措施,推进关键领域重大技术装备自主制造。开展百万千瓦级核电机组、超超临界火电机组、新型船舶等设备自主化工作,启动高档数控机床和重要基础制造装备等重大专项。制定并实施钢铁、煤炭、水泥等11个行业结构调整的政策措施,部分产能过剩行业投资增幅明显回落,新开工项目计划总投资大幅下降,煤炭、电解铝分别淘汰落后生产能力1.1亿吨和120万吨。一批关系国民经济全局的重大工程建成投产或开工建设。青藏铁路全线通车,三峡左岸电站机组全部建成发电,金沙江向家坝水电站开工建设。这些对增强经济发展后劲将发挥重要作用。