SCIO press conference on fiscal reform and development
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 27, 2022
Xinhua News Agency:
In recent years, we have felt the continuous improvement of the environment around us, and more blue-sky days have been reported. What measures did the MOF take to help win the battle of pollution prevention and control? What are your next plans? Thank you.
Liu Kun:
Thank you. You've raised an excellent question. A fine ecological environment is the fairest public product and the most accessible welfare for the people. The government funding should provide the fairest public goods. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed on multiple occasions that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and that we should protect Nature and preserve the environment like we protect our eyes and endeavor to foster a new relationship where man and Nature can both prosper and live in harmony. The MOF has thoroughly studied General Secretary Xi Jinping's views and proposals, comprehensively made use of fiscal policies, and supported the resource conservation and the protection of the ecosystem and environment to better meet people's needs for a good environment. We have mainly made efforts in the following three aspects:
First, investment has been increased. In 2021, the central government allocated 437.4 billion yuan for eco-environmental protection. In the meantime, the MOF innovated methods for fiscal administration and proactively gave full play to the leveraging role of government funds. Through the national green development fund, provincial-level funds for the prevention and control of soil pollution, and others, the MOF has encouraged private capitals to participate in eco-environmental protection and treatment.
Second, more efforts have been made on key issues. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the central government has set up special funds to manage water, air, and soil. These funds are used to protect our blue skies, clear waters, and clean lands, with special efforts to address prominent eco-environmental issues and help significantly improve the environment. Due to financial investment and efforts of the whole society, we have seen remarkable results. Take blue skies, for an example. In 2021, the PM2.5 density of cities at or above the prefectural level decreased 9.1% over the previous year, and 87.5% of days saw good or excellent air quality. I believe that every citizen can feel the obvious improvement in this field in their daily lives.
Third, the long-term mechanism has been established. The MOF set up mechanisms for trans-regional and intra-watershed compensation for ecological conservation efforts in all river basins of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. We have also made coordinated efforts in the systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, deserts, and glaciers. We established nature reserve systems based on national parks, continuously improved green government procurement policies, and effectively promoted the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society.
If we do not fail Nature, Nature shall never fail us. Therefore, the MOF will firmly carry out Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization, continuously increase investments and solve prominent environment problems as soon as possible, and help secure victory in the prolonged battle of environmental protection, in a bid to make skies bluer, mountains lusher, and waters clearer. Thank you.
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