《财新周刊》记者：中国政府出台了一系列关于减税降费的举措，
Cai Xin: The Chinese government took a series of steps to reduce taxes and fees.
不少企业家反映企业税收依然很重，
However, some business people still feel that the tax burden on companies is quite heavy.
今年政府出台了更大规模的减税降费，请问您认为企业能得到实惠吗？财政可持续吗？
This year the government plans to implement deeper tax and fee cuts. I would like to ask if you think real benefits can be truly delivered to companies, and is our country’s public finance sustainable?
李克强：近几年我们利用营改增等，平均每年给企业减税降费一万亿元，三年三万亿元。
Premier Li: In the past several years, we worked to replace business tax with value-added tax. For the past three years, we cut taxes by three trillion yuan, or one trillion on an average annual basis.
应该说，我们减税的规模是比较大的。
This is fairly large-scale tax reduction.
今年下决心要进行更大规模的减税降费，把增值税和基本养老保险单位缴费率降下来，
This year we will implement larger-scale tax and fee cuts. We will make reductions in the VAT and employers’ contributions to the basic pension insurance scheme.
减税降费红利近两万亿元。
This will deliver a dividend of as much as two trillion yuan to companies.
这可以说是应对当前经济下行压力的一个十分重要的关键性举措。
It is an important measure for countering the downward pressure.
这样做有利于公平，
This is also a fair and efficient policy option.
因为按照规则，各类所有制企业普遍能从减税降费中受惠，而且政策效率很高，一竿子插到底，直达市场主体。
The same rules will be enforced and companies under all types of ownership will stand to benefit as equals. The policy will reach all market players directly.
4月1日就要减增值税，5月1日就要降社保费率，全面推开。
The plan is to cut VAT rates starting from 1 April, and the social insurance contribution rate from 1 May.
我看还没有其他办法比这种办法给企业带来的感受更公平、更有效。
No other way may work as fairly and efficiently as this one for companies.
今年更大规模的减税降费是一项重大改革和重要抉择。
Our larger-scale tax and fee cuts are a very important reform measure and a crucial decision.
之前我们反复测算，
Before we took this decision, we did thorough calculations.
有多种方案，一种就是今后几年每年把增值税率降一个百分点，
In the past, there were several different plans under consideration. For example, one of the plans was to cut the VAT rates by just one percentage point each year in the following several years.
但在当前情况下企业可能感受不深。
But that may not bring as many benefits to companies as the current plan.
所以我们下决心把占增值税总量近60%的制造业等行业的增值税率降低3个百分点，把建筑业等部分行业降1个百分点，
Under the current plan, the VAT rate for the manufacturing sector will be cut by three percentage points. The manufacturing sector accounts for close to 60 percent of all VAT. For construction and related sectors, the VAT rate will be cut by one percent point.
其他所有行业也确保只减不增。
For other industries, we will also work to ensure that the tax burden on companies will only go down, not up.
由于税制的原因，可能在推进过程当中有些行业抵扣少了，税收会有增加，
Due to the setup of the tax code, with fewer deductions, the tax payments of some sectors may somewhat increase.
我们也做了认真的准备，对他们加大抵扣的力度，用打补丁的办法，并对所有的中小微企业实行普惠性减税，
To address this problem, we will make further tax deductions. In this process, the tax burden on all micro, small and medium-sized companies will be significantly eased.
以此确保所有行业税负只减不增。
All in all, as I said before, taxes levied on companies will only come down instead of going up.
对基本养老保险单位缴费率，我们还明确，可以从原规定的20%降到16%。
Moreover, employers’ contributions to the basic pension insurance scheme will be cut from 20 percent to 16 percent.
减税是要减收的。
Cutting taxes means smaller fiscal revenues.
我们今年安排财政支出和GDP增长同步，确保民生重点领域、三大攻坚战支出只增不减。
This year, our fiscal spending will grow in tandem with the GDP growth rate. We also need to ensure that government spending in key areas related to people’s lives and in fighting the three critical battles will increase.
那么人们会问钱从哪里来？
Then it begs the question: where does the money come from?
赤字只提高了0.2个百分点，填不上这个窟窿怎么办？
Only increasing the budget deficit ratio by 0.2 percent point is not enough to make up for the shortfall.
我们的办法是，政府要过紧日子，不仅要压缩政府一般性支出，
The answer is: the government will tighten its belt and cut back on its general expenditures.
而且增加特定国有金融机构和央企上缴利润、进入国库，并把长期沉淀的财政资金收回。
At the same time, certain state-owned financial institutions and enterprises directly under the central government will be asked to turn in a larger share of their profits to the state coffers. The central government will also take back those fiscal funds that have long stayed unused.
通过这些举措，我们筹集了1万亿元资金。
Through these means, we have put together one trillion yuan.
我们还要求地方政府也要挖潜，把自己的功课做足。对中西部地区，我们将给予适当的转移支付支持。
Local governments also need to do their homework and contribute, but for localities in the central and western regions, transfer payments from the central government will be made.
大规模减税降费，是要动政府的存量利益，要割自己的肉。
Digging into the government’s own revenue stock for slashing taxes and fees would be like the government turning the blade of a knife to itself, which requires significant self-sacrifice.
所以我说这是一项刀刃向内、壮士断腕的改革。
That is why I said this is a key reform that requires exceptional courage and determination.
刚才记者问，这样做财政可持续吗？我们也是认真算过账的。
You asked if our public finance is sustainable. Let me tell you that the government has done its due diligence.
我们是给制造业等基础行业、给带动就业面最大的中小企业明显减税，
We are going to cut VAT rates for the manufacturing and other basic sectors. And we are going to make things much easier for small and medium-sized companies, the largest providers of jobs in our country. They will see their taxes meaningfully reduced.
这实际上是“放水养鱼”、培育财源。
This will create a more enabling environment for companies, and also help to expand our tax sources.
我们前几年在营改增过程中起先也是财政减收的，但后来税基扩大了，财政收入增长了。
When we started with the VAT reform several years ago, government revenue also declined. However, it didn’t take long for it to increase again, as the tax base expanded.
现在看，我们还要调整国民收入分配结构，这也是一项改革。
This is also a reform that will make adjustments to the structure of our national income distribution.
从趋势看，应该给实体经济、给企业让利，让他们在国民收入分配蛋糕中的比例更大，这样能更多带动就业，让就业人群增加收入。
By expanding the share of companies therein, we will create more jobs and put more money in our people’s pockets.
为此，政府就要过紧日子，就要让利，政府的存量利益也要动，得罪人也要动，让利于企业，让利于民，这样财政才更可持续，
To do this, the government must live on a tight budget, and let companies benefit more. We must dig into the government’s own pockets, even if this involves offending people. This is actually helpful for keeping our public finance sustainable.
反过来讲可能就要打问号了。
As a matter of fact, our ability to keep China’s public finance sustainable may be called into question if the above measures are not taken.
我们这样做，不是在预支未来，恰恰是在培育未来。
Such measures are not taking an overdraft on our future, but nurturing a better tomorrow.
现在可以说是真金白银已经备好了，有关部门和各级政府都要去落实，决不能让政策“打白条”，
So, these heavyweight policies and measures are all set, relevant departments and governments at all levels must fully deliver those policies and measures. There must be no lip service.
更不允许变换花样乱收费来冲击减税降费的成效，要让企业、让市场主体切实感受到更大规模减税降费的实实在在效果。
We will let market players test their actual effects and there must be no arbitrary charges levied in disguised forms. Our end goal is to deliver concrete benefits to companies and market entities.
来源：译路通微博 日期：2019年3月18日
