The Ministry of Finance interprets the No. 1 document: Making sure that the funds for supporting agriculture are spent on cutting edge

In 2011, for the first time in half a century, China’s grain output increased for the first time in eight years, and farmers’ incomes also achieved “eight consecutive years”. This gratifying achievement cannot be separated from the support of a series of strong agricultural, agricultural, and agro-prosperous policies of the country. It also reflects the strong support of national finances.

The Central Document No. 1 issued in 2012, while emphasizing the continuous increase in financial support for agriculture, has placed "a substantial increase in investment in agricultural science and technology" in a prominent position. Through this important document, what are the new trends in China's agricultural investment this year? What are the new bright spots for increasing investment in agricultural science and technology? With these questions, the reporter interviewed the responsible person of the Ministry of Finance on the 8th.

Recalling "Three Continued Increases" to Strengthen "Fund Support for Food Production Increase"

Grain production can not be separated from financial funds. From 2003, the central government’s more than 200 billion yuan of “three rural” expenditures to the central government’s expenditure on agriculture, rural areas and farmers exceeded 1 trillion yuan in 2011. As the country’s financial resources continue to increase, the central government’s investment in agriculture, rural areas, and farmers will increase year by year. New level.

In order to continuously promote the stable development of agriculture, in 2012, the Central No. 1 document once again called for “three continuous increase” in the “three rural issues” investment, that is, to continue to increase fiscal expenditures for “three rural issues” and continue to increase the country’s fixed assets. Investment in agriculture and rural areas will continue to increase investment in agricultural science and technology to ensure that both the increment and the proportion increase.

In addition, in order to better mobilize the peasants' enthusiasm for grain production and local governments' grain mobilization, the Central No. 1 document this year also proposes to continue to increase the intensity of agricultural subsidies and further increase the strength of various policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit agriculture, and rich farmers.

In this regard, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Finance stated that in 2012, the central government will implement the spirit of the No. 1 document of the Central Government, continue to optimize the structure of expenditures, increase investment in agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and actively implement various policies for strengthening agriculture, benefiting agriculture, and enriching agriculture. It provides a strong guarantee for capturing good crops in agriculture, promoting faster income increase for farmers, and maintaining the harmony and stability of rural society.

In recent years, the central government has continuously optimized the structure of fiscal expenditures, focused on increasing the support for grain production, continuously strengthened grain production fund guarantees, and strived to establish and improve a stable growth mechanism for financial support for agriculture.

Statistics show that from 2004 to 2010, the central government's financial support for "agriculture, countryside and farmers" increased from 262.62 billion yuan to 857.97 billion yuan, an average annual increase of 21.8%, of which the input related to grain production increased from 102.9 billion yuan to 457.5 billion yuan. . The Ministry of Finance estimates that in 2011 the central government's expenditure on agriculture, rural areas and farmers is expected to reach 1,040.86 billion yuan, an increase of 21.3%.

Increase Investment in Agricultural Science and Technology to Relieve "Soft Constraints" in Increasing Grain Production

This year's Central Document No. 1 proposed that to achieve sustainable and stable agricultural development and ensure the effective supply of agricultural products in the long run, the only way out is to use technology.

In the face of the current lack of investment in China's agricultural science and technology, and the fact that the level of scientific and technological development is still lagging behind, this important document focuses on long-term development, and puts forward clear requirements for increasing investment in agricultural science and technology, that is, “guarantee that the growth rate of agricultural investment in agricultural science and technology is significantly higher. In fiscal regular income growth, we will gradually increase the proportion of agricultural R&D investment in the added value of agriculture, and establish a long-term mechanism for stable growth."

Authoritative sources pointed out that the highlight of this year's Central Document No. 1 is that the agricultural science and technology have significant publicity, basicness, and sociality. While emphasizing the “significant increase in investment in agricultural science and technology”, it has further clarified that in agricultural science and technology, the government It is necessary to play a leading role and assume the primary responsibility for financial commitment.

In addition, the document highlights the capacity of the grassroots promotion system for agriculture, and puts forward a policy of “a convergence and two coverage”, ie, the compensation for the salaries of agricultural technicians in towns and townships must be linked to the average income of local institutions, and grassroots agricultural technology promotion system. The reform and construction of demonstration counties should basically cover all agricultural counties, and the conditional construction projects of agricultural technology extension agencies should cover all townships. This move is regarded as a major policy breakthrough for financial support for grass-roots agricultural technology extension work, and it is also the key to incentivizing and playing the role of grass-roots agricultural extension workers.

In this regard, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Finance pointed out that in the next step, the central government will actively play its role as a financial function, endeavor to establish a stable growth mechanism for financial agricultural science and technology investment, stably support basic, frontier, and public welfare research on agriculture, and gradually increase research institutions. The level of operating funds guarantee, vigorously support the transformation of agricultural scientific and technological achievements and the promotion of technology, and strive to promote the construction of a socialized service system for agricultural technology, so as to provide a powerful guarantee for enhancing the supporting capacity of science and technology for agricultural and rural development. At the same time, the central government will actively play a guiding role in bringing more enterprises and other social funds into the field of agricultural science and technology and promoting the improvement of social investment in agricultural science and technology.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Finance, in 2011, the central government allocated a total of 18.7 billion yuan in funds for agricultural research, agricultural technology and service systems. Financial departments around the country have also continued to increase their investment in agricultural science and technology innovation. According to the data from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture, in 2012, 60 million yuan of the provincial government’s new $100 million in science and technology funding has been identified for use in agricultural science and technology to promote innovation in agricultural science and technology.

Strengthen supervision of funds for supporting agriculture to ensure that money is spent "on the blade"

With the increase of national agricultural investment funds, how to strengthen the supervision of funds to ensure that each penny is spent "on the edge" has become a new topic for the development of "three rural".

This year's Central Document No. 1 emphasizes that it is necessary to effectively integrate national investment and improve the efficiency of fund use. Effectively strengthen the supervision of the use of financial "three rural" inputs and subsidy funds, and resolutely stop and severely investigate and prosecute violations of laws and regulations such as misrepresentation, false leads, and embezzlement.

Relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Finance stated that in 2012, the central government will earnestly implement the spirit of the No. 1 document of the Central Government, strengthen the supervision over the use of funds for agriculture to support agriculture, strengthen the supervision and inspection of the implementation of the policy of strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers, and supporting rich farmers, and resolutely stop and severely investigate and deal with violations. The peasants' interests and false declarations of violations of laws and regulations, such as false appearances and the interception and misappropriation, ensure that the policies are in place and the funds are safe and effective.

The person in charge pointed out that in the next step, the finance department will further promote the integration and overall use of fiscal agriculture-related funds, and promote the formation of a new model of department-level coordination, up-down linkage, step-by-step convergence, and safe and effective management of agricultural-related funds. At the same time, we will organize special inspections of rural agglomeration funds, special projects for water conservancy, new rural cooperative medical insurance, and new agricultural insurance, etc., to further increase supervision and inspection.

In addition, it will also effectively strengthen financial basic management of agriculture-related funds, and give full play to the supervisory role of grass-roots finances on the spot. Establish and improve the management system covering the entire process of distribution, allocation, use, supervision and performance evaluation of agricultural funds, deepen the system innovation of the agriculture-related fund management mechanism, strengthen all basic work related to agricultural capital management, and strive to improve the level of information management.