More fairness needed in how tax is spent

Statistics indicate that the country's tax income in the first half of this year reached 2,494.7 billion yuan ($311.84 billion), a record six-month high.

In recent years, the publication of tax income figures has always drawn questions from the public. People are dissatisfied that taxation, still geared to increasing government income, has so far failed to be turned into a social-justice leverage.

It is particularly important that taxation's focus shifts from "efficiency first" to "fairness first" in the general context that a well-to-do social stratum has initially taken shape in the country, thanks to the 30-year-old reform and opening up while the poor population still finds the going tough. In addition, a universal social security umbrella is yet to be put in place.