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China mulls tax on disposable products: official
By Guan Xiaomeng (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-11-24 09:35
Sources from the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) say that people using
disposable products that are resource-draining and polluting may have to pay a
consumption tax.
A garbage cart
collects disposable chopsticks. Disposable chopsticks have become one of
the top sources of resource drain and pollution. |
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An SAT official released the news when projecting the 11th Five Year Plan for
taxation reform at the 2005 China Finance and Taxation Forum, which opened
November 19.
The official said the tax would be levied on disposable products including
disposable chopsticks, canteens (paper and plastic food containers), and baby
diapers.
Xie Xuren, administrator of the SAT, said resource conservation has been
listed as one of the state policies in the 11th Five Year Plan and the taxation
on disposable products is an effort to carry out the policy to build a
conservation-minded and environmentally friendly society.
According to the administrator, the taxation reform includes the enhanced
taxation on disposed materials and comprehensive resource use and the creation
of policies that encourage energy conservation.
Considered as “green taxation,” these environmental protecting taxations are
being adopted by more and more courtiers. Now in some European Union countries,
tax is levied on nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide discharge.
Experts hailed the “green taxation.” “The tax can be levied once the products
leave the factory so the consumption tax can be paid in the form of price,” said
Professor Zhu Qing and An Tifu from Renmin University. People will likely noy
use disposable chopsticks if the chopsticks’ price rises.
However, Professor Zhu Qing warned that problems might arise in disposable
chopsticks taxation, such as the lack of a clear definition of disposable
chopsticks.
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