Every government reform concerning taxes or fees in recent years has given rise to fierce debate in the media and on the Internet. The latest proposed reform of vehicle tax is no exception. The National People’s Congress reviewed proposals on vehicle tax late October. Tax would be based on emissions, or engine size, according to the bill. It suggested raising tax on all vehicles with engines bigger than 1.6 liters. This would mean most car owners would have to pay more once the bill becomes law. Xinhua News Agency has led criticism of the bill. It has published three articles quoting experts questioning the motives and effectiveness of the proposed tax hike. Officials from the Ministry of Finance have said that the tax rise is aimed at encouraging the use of smaller, less-polluting automobiles. They also say that it aims to redistribute wealth. Some support the proposals for they believe by collecting more tax from rich people, the reform could redistribute wealth to some degree. Firstly, if taxes-for large, luxury vehicles increase dramatically but remain the same or lower for smaller vehicles, then naturally people would start buying smaller cars. This helps reduce automobile emissions and leads to a cleaner environment. Secondly, the additional tax revenue could be used to improve benefits for people on lower incomes, to create more jobs and to provide .better education for children from poorer families. This would help them have a better future and would redistribute wealth in society. Finally, automobile consumption in China, especially in large cities, is getting out of hand. Too many cars create serious problems such as pollution, traffic congestion and accidents. Something has to be done to control the number of cars. Heavier taxes would be very effective. Other people disagree with the proposals, for they think that it seems as though the only aim to the tax reform is to increase income for the government. For the first place, compared with the serious wealth gap in Chinese society today, the amount of tax collected on vehicles will make almost no difference in terms of distribution of wealth. Billionaires can buy as many luxury cars as they want but poor people still can’t afford the smallest of cars. Secondly, the majority of privately-owned vehicles in China are in the 1.6 to 2 liter range. This is the most common and economical size for a family car, and is much less polluting than luxury vehicles. However, the new law would almost double the tax levied on these cars. This would not encourage people to buy smaller cars. Finally, the new law does not state where and how the additional tax income from vehicle taxes would be used. We don’t know if the funds will be used to improve benefits for lower-income people, or for other social causes. Which of the following is NOT true
All the government reforms concerning taxes or fees will catch the public attention.
B. Xinhua News Agency and the Ministry of Finance hold the same attitude towards the proposals on the reform of vehicle tax.
C. The tax reform wilt increase income for the government.
D. Heavier taxes are effective to control the number of cars to some degre
Imagine. One day all of us will have to pay for every breath we take. What will that be like Of course, that’s an exaggeration. But as environmental issues grow more concerning, carbon emissions begin costing more and more to businesses and families. The carbon tax, simply speaking, is an environmental tax charged on fossil fuel. It is based on how much carbon a person or company emits. The primary purpose of such a tax is to lower greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce the fees, utilities, business and even individuals attempt to use less energy derived from fossil fuels. Starting in Europe, carbon tax has had a patchy history. It’s widely accepted in Northern Europe, in countries like Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland. China, as one of the leading carbon emitters, is also considering levying a carbon tax. This would further boost the price of fossil fuel. "We expect China will start to levy various taxes only if they are helpful in mitigating greenhouse emissions and developing a low- carbon economy," Jiang Kejun, a senior researcher with the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission, told China Daily. "I think a carbon tax is likely to be levied during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011~2015)," said Jiang. At last year’s Copenhagen Climate Conference, China promised to cut carbon intensity by 40~45 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels. So the government is carrying out "tougher measures" to realize the green goal. According to Jiang, China has already passed the stage of "whether to implement" and is planning on "how to implement". Jiang says that "levying a carbon tax is much more complicated and difficult, especially in the circumstances of China’s economy." Jiang said it might be more practical for China to make a transition from an energy tax to a carbon .tax, like most European countries have done. Still, the consequence of levying a carbon tax undoubtedly would be beneficial. "If the rate of carbon tax is 10 yuan/ton of greenhouse gas emission, as advised, and the carbon emission of burning a ton of coal is 2 tons, this means that the price of a ton of coal will be only 20 yuan higher," said Jiang. "The current price of coal is about 600~800 yuan, so, a carbon tax won’t have much effect on the costs of those enterprises." In the long run, money from levying the carbon tax would be invested in researching and developing new low-carbon energy that can help cut China’s carbon emissions. "Sweden has the highest rate of carbon tax in the world, which is 0.08 euro/kg (0.67 yuan/kg) greenhouse gas," Li Lailai, deputy director of the Stockholm Environment Institute, told Southern Weekly. "Since it’s levied a carbon tax a few years ago, its carbon emission has dropped 3.7 percent from the 1990 level. And its GDP has increased by 25 percent. The numbers tell it all." Taxation and fiscal incentives are just part of a portfolio of possible policy changes in the future. The ultimate goal is to turn China’s low-carbon development pathway into reality. "Apart from a carbon tax, the government may begin to levy environmental and resource taxes. Meanwhile, China will greatly boost subsidies to support low-carbon technology research and development," Jiang said. Suddenly, the word "carbon tax" is coming into our life, even though levying a carbon tax would have a more direct effect on big enterprises than people’s daily life, it’ll still help to better the environment we live in. Let’s do the math. The U. S. now levies a carbon tariff on products exported to the country. The price is $10~70 (68 ~ 478 yuan) a ton of CO2. So, take for example the U. S. pop singer Madonna’s latest world tour. It produced 1,635 tons of carbon emissions, thanks to her private jet, tour bus, and the setting up of stage, lights and other machinery. If a carbon tariff is charged at $ 30 (205 yuan) a ton, she has to pay a $49,050 (334, 968 yuan ) carbon tax. Actress Zhou Xun, an environmental activist, has spent several thousand yuan and bought more than 200 trees to balance out the carbon emission (about 19.5 tons) she produced while traveling last year. So, it seems that a carbon tax is very much related not just to companies and enterprises, but to every one of us. Spend a thousand yuan, and you can buy trees that can counteract about 5.6 tons of carbon emission. That’s the amount of carbon emissions a Chinese family produces in two years. In this case, "paying for breath" doesn’t seem to be so far- fetched an idea after all. The phrase "a patchy history" in Paragraph 3 refers to the fact that ______.
A. the carbon tax is widely accepted in Europe
B. the carbon tax originated from Europe
C. the carbon tax is not levied all over Europe completely
Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland have accepted the carbon tax for a long time