China decided to cut taxes or administrative fees on poultry businesses and individuals in a bid to boost the fight against bird flu, as two new outbreaks were reported in western Xinjiang.

According to a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, poultry processing and marketing businesses will be exempted from the 2005 corporate tax and enjoy value-added tax rebates as well as export tax rebates.

Businesses and individuals involved in the poultry industry will also enjoy reduction or exemption of land use tax, real estate tax and vehicle use tax during the first half of 2006.

The decisions are among nine measures adopted at the meeting to check the spreading of bird flu, which deliberated over and passed a draft regulation on serious animal epidemic outbreak emergency response.

China has reported 11 bird flu outbreaks in the past month, with the western region of Xinjiang reporting the two most recent outbreaks.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2005)