A batch of new laws and regulations came into effect on March 1st.

    Xinhuanet Beijing, February 29 (Reporter Jia Nan) Since March 1, 2008, a number of new regulations and departmental rules, such as the revised regulations for the implementation of the individual income tax law of the People’s Republic of China and the measures for the administration of central sugar reserves, have been officially implemented, which will have an important impact on the production and life of the public.


    The threshold for personal income tax is raised to 2000 yuan.


    The revised Regulations for the Implementation of the Individual Income Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China shall come into force on March 1st. The newly revised regulations stipulate that the deduction standard for personal income tax wages and salaries will be raised from 1,600 yuan per month to 2,000 yuan per month. This adjustment not only implements the principle of fair tax burden and reasonable burden, but also reflects the policy intention of taking care of low-and middle-income people.


    The newly revised regulations stipulate that, while the deduction standard for wages and salary income of foreign-related personnel is raised from 1,600 yuan/month to 2,000 yuan/month, the additional deduction standard is adjusted from 3,200 yuan/month to 2,800 yuan/month. In this way, the total deduction standard for foreign-related personnel remains unchanged at 4,800 yuan/month, which not only narrows the gap, but also maintains the continuity of tax policies. At present, the general deduction standard of wages and salaries of foreign-related personnel is higher than that of China citizens in China. The regulations also clarify that the forms of personal income include other forms of economic benefits besides cash, physical objects and securities. For other forms of economic benefits, the taxable income shall be verified with reference to the market price.


    Measures for the administration of central reserve sugar: coping with abnormal market fluctuations caused by unexpected events


    The measures for the administration of central sugar reserves jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance came into effect on March 1st. The purpose of the method is to ensure that the reserve sugar is used for disaster relief, to ensure that the reserve sugar is true in quantity, qualified in quality and safe in storage, and to be well stored, managed, adjusted and used to effectively play its role.


    The measures stipulate the division of responsibilities of the Ministry of Commerce, the Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance in the management of central reserve sugar, stipulate the storage and processing, storage, rotation, storage and utilization, quality and other aspects of central reserve sugar, and set corresponding punishment clauses for those who violate relevant regulations.


    Joint notice of units: standardize the inquiry, freezing and deduction of securities and transaction settlement funds by law enforcement agencies.


    The Notice on Inquiring, Freezing and Deducting Securities and Securities Trading Settlement Funds jointly issued by the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security and China Securities Regulatory Commission has been implemented since March 1.


    The circular stipulates that people’s courts, people’s procuratorates and public security organs must produce relevant certificates and valid legal documents when inquiring, freezing or deducting securities and securities trading settlement funds; Securities and funds in centralized settlement accounts established by registration and settlement institutions, settlement risk funds and settlement mutual insurance funds collected by registration and settlement institutions, funds in special accounts for capital verification of new share issuance and offline subscription funds accounts, and funds in special deposit accounts for settlement reserve funds opened by registration and settlement institutions in banks shall not be frozen or deducted; The funds in the client’s fund settlement account and the minimum self-operated settlement reserve in the securities company’s self-operated fund settlement account and the funds payable determined according to the transaction results shall not be frozen or deducted; For all kinds of delivery collateral collected by registration and settlement institutions in accordance with business rules, freezing and deduction are exempted before the delivery procedures are completed; The people’s courts, people’s procuratorates and public security organs shall freeze the securities for two years, and the funds for securities trading settlement shall be frozen for six months, which will remain for two years and six months at the time of renewal. The circular also stipulates the settlement mechanism for disputes arising from freezing or deduction among the people’s courts, people’s procuratorates and public security organs that request freezing or deduction.


    Civil airport fee reform plan: the overall expenditure level of airlines will decline


    CAAC has implemented the reform plan of civil airport charges since March 1st. The main contents of this reform are: classified management of civil airport charges, and airports are divided into class I airports, class II airports, class II airports and class III airports. Civil airport charges are unified into aviation business charges, important non-aviation business charges and other non-aviation business charges. Reform the management mode of civil airport charges, and implement government-guided prices for aviation business charges and important non-aviation business charges. The government will set the benchmark price and floating range, and the airport and airlines will negotiate and determine specific standards within the floating range stipulated by the government; Other charges for non-aviation services are mainly based on market-adjusted prices in principle, and the charging standards for charging items with insufficient market competition will be managed according to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Price Law and the pricing catalogue.


    A new scheme of implementing the upper limit standard for mobile roaming charges


    The new scheme of the mobile roaming fee ceiling standard issued by the Ministry of Information Industry and the National Development and Reform Commission has been implemented since March 1st.


    The new scheme stipulates that 0.6 yuan calls every minute and 0.4 yuan calls every minute when roaming. The new scheme combines domestic roaming call charges and domestic long-distance call charges in roaming state; Do not distinguish between post-paid and pre-paid users. In the current tariff scheme, if the domestic roaming call charges (including domestic long-distance call charges under roaming conditions) are higher than the new scheme standards, the telecom enterprises will reduce them according to the above standards; Below the above standards, shall not take the opportunity to raise prices.


    Some local policies and regulations will be implemented on March 1st.


Jiangxi: Accidents in volunteer service can be protected by law.


    According to the regulations on youth volunteer service in Jiangxi Province, when organizing volunteer service activities, youth volunteer organizations should provide safety education to volunteers, provide corresponding personal insurance for volunteers who may endanger their personal safety, and provide timely assistance to volunteers who are accidentally injured in the service process.


Yunnan new regulations: media supervision will become the basis of administrative accountability


    The accountability measures of Yunnan provincial government departments and state and city administrative heads stipulate that the chief executive will be held accountable under 10 circumstances: there are orders that can’t be done, and there are prohibitions; Arbitrary and wrong decision-making; Abuse of power and illegal administration; Procrastination, buck passing; Do not seek progress, mediocrity and inaction; Deceive the superior and deceive the inferior, resort to deceit; Indifferent attitude and rude style; Extravagance, comparison and enjoyment; Black-box operation and evasion of supervision; Poor supervision and improper disposal.


Beijing’s Eleventh Five-Year Environmental Protection Plan will raise vehicle emission standards.


  Starting from March 1st, Beijing will implement the new motor vehicle emission standards in two stages, formally in line with the developed countries in Europe, and implement the national IV standard equivalent to the Euro IV standard. New cars that fail to meet the standards will stop selling and registering.


A number of new regulations will be implemented in March: the tax threshold will be adjusted to 2,000 yuan per month.


  Related links:



  • The relevant person in charge of the National Audit Office answered a reporter’s question on toll roads on February 27, 2008.

  • The State Council has made a breakthrough in administration according to law: moving towards the goal of a government ruled by law on February 26, 2008.

  • Breakthrough progress has been made in the administration according to law in the State Council on February 25, 2008.

  • The rule of law in China, February 28, 2008.


 

Editor: Feng Ye