China's central authorities on Tuesday released its first major document of the year to formally launch the construction of a "new socialist countryside," the main task facing China in the 2006-2010 five-year period.

In order to comprehensively initiate the strategic task established last October, the document sets out 32 measures that will benefit farmers, including promoting modern agriculture, increasing farmers' income and improving rural infrastructure.

"With these favorable policies, Chinese farmers are not far from enjoying a new life of tax-free farming, free education and cheap medication," said Ma Xiaohe, an agricultural expert with the State Development and Reform Commission.

The document is the third consecutive time since 2004 that agriculture, farmers and countryside development have been the priority of the central authorities, showing the government's determination to solve problems in rural areas.

"The three documents embrace increasingly more favorable policies for farmers, with greater supporting power and covering broader areas," Ma said.

According to Ma, the latest document makes it clear that China is tilting fiscal investment to agriculture and farmers, and shifting the focus of infrastructure construction from cities to countryside.

The document calls for seven major tasks to be initiated or completed in 2006, each of them seeking to improve farmers' profits or to lighten their burden.

The first aims to provide farmers with more financial support, a greater investment budget and greater access to funds for everyday facilities.

Other tasks include increasing government subsidies to arable farmers to at least 15 billion yuan (1.88 billion U.S. dollars), eradicating agricultural taxes, which is about 12 billion yuan a year throughout the nation.

Farmers in the western areas will no longer pay fees for their kids for primary and junior middle school education from 2006, and the policy will be implemented throughout the rural areas in 2007, according to the document.

The central and local governments will increase subsidies for farmers' medication in 2006, and a new type of cooperative medication system is scheduled to be set up in the rural areas across the nation in 2008.

When farmers begin to enjoy affluent lives, the Chinese people as a whole can share the fruit of economic and social development. Domestic demand can be expanded and the economy can maintain sustainable development, said the document.

Source: Xinhua