Over the last 30 years China's reforms in rural areas have recorded significant achievements and served the purpose of protecting the material interests of farmers, their democratic rights and helped enhance productivity.
   
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made these remarks at a national two-day conference on rural reform which closed Saturday.
   
Canceling agricultural tax across the country this year marks a new stage in China's reforms of rural areas and the government will continue to deepen institutional remodeling within townships and financial restructuring at both county and township levels, he said.
   
China's central, provincial and city governments have set aside more than 100 billion yuan (US$12.5 billion) this year to make up for the fiscal income losses of grassroots governments in the tax reforms aimed at easing the burden of farmers, according to official documents. 
   
The comprehensive reforms in rural areas involve not only economics but also political, social and cultural issues, Wen said.

"We should strive to complete the institutional reform at township level, the reform of rural compulsory education and the financial reform at county and township levels in five years or a bit longer," he explained.
   
On the institutional reform at township level Wen stressed the importance of altering the functions of government, streamlining departments, reducing expenditure and improving administrative efficiency.
   
By the end of next year the country will exempt primary and junior high school students in rural areas from tuition and other educational expenses to ensure all children have ready access to education, he said.
   
The salaries of rural teachers have to be included in government budgets and should be guaranteed, he said, prohibiting the re-emergence of random charges being made on rural students for various reasons. 
   
Self-governance by villagers and expansion of grass-roots democracy are also important tasks in building a new countryside, Wen said. He stressed the importance of democratic elections, decision-making, management and supervision in villages.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2006)