Economic, social tasks set for 2004
By (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-03-06 09:52

China stressed coordinated and sustainable economic and social development in setting main regulatory targets, and major tasks for economic and social development in 2004, the country's top legislature was told Saturday.

Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission, made the remarks in his report to the legislature on the implementation of the 2003 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2004 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development.

In the year 2004, he said, "We must continue to put the people first and articulate and bring to fruition a conception of all- round, balanced and sustainable development."

"In line with the need to balance urban and rural development, balance development among regions, balance economic and social development, balance development of man and nature, and balance domestic development and opening wider to the outside world, we must shift the focus of our economic work onto restructuring the economy, changing the mode of economic growth, and improving its quality and efficiency."

He said China must nurture, guide and make good use of everyone 's initiative in accelerating development so as to bring about sustained, rapid, balanced and sound development of the national economy and all-round social progress.

"Our main macro-control targets for 2004 are as follows: Economic growth rate around 7 percent. Nine million new jobs for urban residents and registered urban unemployment rate confined to 4.7 percent. Rise in the consumer price index of about 3 percent. Increase in total import and export volume of 8 percent. To attain these targets, we need to focus on accomplishing the following tasks," Ma said.

Listed tasks:

-- Economic growth rate: around 7 percent;

-- New jobs for 9 million urban residents;

-- Urban registered unemployment rate: 4.7 percent;

-- CPI growth rate: around 3 percent;

-- Foreign trade growth rate: 8 percent;

-- Growth of farmers' per-capita net income: 5 percent;

-- Grain output: 455 billion kilograms;

-- Issue of long-term treasury bonds: 110 billion yuan;

-- Total budgetary revenue: 2.357 trillion yuan;

-- Total budgetary expenditure: 2.6768 trillion yuan;

-- Central budget deficit: 319.8 billion yuan;

-- Natural population growth rate: within 7 per thousand; and

-- College enrollment: 4 million undergraduates, 330,000 postgraduate students.

(One US dollar = 8.277 yuan)

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