Members of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing yesterday called for more measures to bridge the income gap between people from different sectors and between urban and rural residents.

CPPCC member Chen Mingde said at a high-level workshop: "China should further reform its distribution system in order to keep the income gap within reasonable limits."

The income of residents in cities is now 20.7 times higher than when China began its reform and opening-up process in 1978 and the income of rural residents is now 16.5 times higher, according to a proposal presented by the Central Committee of the China Democratic National Construction Association, one of the Chinese mainland's eight non-Communist parties.

However, the income gap has continued to widen, noted Chen, who is also the vice-president of the association.

"We should avoid levelling-down as well as preventing the irrational widening of the income gap," he said.

The association's proposal gave suggestions on how to increase the income of people at the lower end of the earnings spectrum and provide them with an improved social security system.

Other important measures include stabilizing the group of people with the highest income through taxation measures, the proposal said.

Vice-Minister of Finance Liao Xiaojun said his ministry will accelerate the reform of methods of collecting taxes and fees and improve the social security system to help more people out of dire poverty.

(China Daily)