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E-mail China.org.cn, August 23, 2024
N Video from Nanfang Metropolis Daily:
The MOF previously mentioned that more efforts will be made to strengthen coordination between fiscal and financial policies, allowing further leverage of fiscal funds. What measures will the MOF take to promote high-quality development of key areas such as micro and small enterprises, agriculture, rural areas, rural residents, and technological innovation? Thank you.
Wang Dongwei:
I will answer this question.
In recent years, while implementing proactive fiscal policies, we have placed great emphasis on coordinating with monetary, industrial and other related policies. We have effectively utilized tools such as fiscal interest subsidies, grants and subsidies, policy-based financing guarantees and policy-based finance, giving play to the leverage role of fiscal funds and encouraging more financial resources and nongovernmental investment into key areas such as modern industries, inclusive finance and green development. This approach promotes a high-level virtuous cycle among technology, industry and finance.
Here are a few points I'd like to introduce:
First, we will enhance the quality and effectiveness of the policy on providing subsidies for agricultural insurance premiums. In 2023, China's agricultural insurance premiums reached 140 billion yuan, among which nearly 80% were from government subsidies. This year, its agricultural insurance premiums are expected to reach 160 billion yuan. The agricultural insurance policy covers 16 bulk agricultural products, including grain, cotton and sugar, as well as over 500 local distinctive agricultural products, providing approximately 4.5 trillion yuan in risk protection for over 160 million farmer households. This year, the central government's budget for agricultural insurance premium subsidies is 56.2 billion yuan, with 19.3 billion yuan allocated for the comprehensive implementation of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for the three major staple grains (rice, corn and wheat) nationwide. In the second half of the year, we will also expand the coverage of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for soybeans in an orderly manner, to support and consolidate national food security and the supply of important agricultural products.
Second, we will strengthen government financing guarantees to support technological innovation. We have just launched a special guarantee plan to support technological innovation. By enhancing the risk-sharing and compensation efforts of the National Financing Guarantee Fund, we aim to encourage banks and policy guarantee institutions to strengthen financing support for technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We have increased the maximum guarantee amount for a single enterprise from 10 million yuan to 30 million yuan, thereby mobilizing more financial resources to support technological innovation.
Third, we will better leverage the guiding role of government investment funds. Currently, the central authorities are supporting the development of government investment funds, such as the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund and the National Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrade Fund, to drive nongovernmental investment, thereby effectively supporting the implementation of major national strategies. For example, the National SME Development Fund, with a total scale of 35.7 billion yuan, has invested in 42 sub-funds, helping these projects raise more than 480 billion yuan in new equity financing. In addition, more than 70% of the fund has been invested in over 1,200 newly established SMEs. Moving forward, we will further enhance the leverage role of government investment funds to support the rapid development of new industries, new models and new growth drivers.
Fourth, we will thoroughly implement the policy of providing fiscal subsidies for interest payments, which is also a key measure for equipment renewal. The central government will pay 1.5% of the interest payments of those qualified business entities for two years. Totaling 20 billion yuan, such fiscal subsidies will support these business entities in equipment renewal and technological transformation, which are expected to drive related loan volumes to over 660 billion yuan. We will actively, prudently, and orderly advance the pilot program for providing loan interest subsidies to develop high-standard farmland, guiding more financial resources and nongovernmental investment into the agricultural sector.
Lastly, we will strengthen agricultural credit guarantee services. As of the end of June, there were 1.1 million agricultural credit guarantee projects nationwide, with an outstanding balance of 395 billion yuan. Moving forward, we will increase support for new agricultural business entities and make greater efforts to enhance credit guarantee services for the production of key agricultural products such as grain and soybean oil.
That is all from me. Thank you.
Xing Huina:
Thank you to all the speakers and participating journalists. Today's press conference will end here. Goodbye, everyone.
Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Wang Qian, Liu Sitong, Wang Yanfang, Zhang Rui, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Li Huiru, Lin Liyao, Zhang Junmian, Li Xiao, Wang Ziteng, Liu Caiyi, Wang Wei, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Rochelle Beiersdorfer. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
