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English 1000, Chinese 1000

What's in It for You?

2009/01/15 14:00:00 US/Central
text by Claire Cheng

On January 1, 2009, Mr. Wu, a private-car owner was prepared to spend more money to fuel his Jetta. That day, a new fuel consumption tax was set to be levied. But to his surprise, his cost for the No. 93 gasoline he and most car owners use in Beijing was unchanged at 5.4 yuan (79 US cents) per litre, the same as the rate set on December 19, 2008.

Wu was among the many who didn’t understand the new plan, which clearly said that gasoline prices would not rise with the introduction of its fuel consumption tax.

According to the Plan for Refined Fuel Consumption Tax Reform issued for public opinion on December 5, the consumption tax on gasoline will increase to 1 yuan (15 US cents) per litre from 0.2 yuan (3 US cents) per litre, and the tax on diesel would increase to 0.8 yuan (12 US cents) per litre from 0.1 yuan (1.5 US cents) per litre. Fuel oil, lubricants, naphtha and solvents were also to be subjected to the tax.

But consumers got a break: they will not pay more for gasoline, at least for now, with the reform, sources said. Instead, the tax will be levied during the production process. This means that prices for gasoline, diesel and oil products will not change in amount but in composition, including more of the fuel consumption tax.

Still, the policy change will affect people’s lives; in the long run, oil prices are still expected to rise, which will ultimately affect gasoline consumers, depending on the vagaries of the world oil market.

 

Good News? Bad News?

 

For private car owners, especially owners of low-emission vehicles, the reform will likely be perceived as good news, because with the implementation of the fuel consumption tax, six kinds of road tolls and maintenance fees have been abolished; tolls for Grade II  highways will be cancelled over time. For most car owners, a 1,320 yuan per year (US$198) road maintenance fee was mandatory before, averaging 110 yuan (US$16.50) per month.

There have been lots of reports on the effects of the new plan on various fuel and oil product consumers. But if the added tax is 0.8 yuan (12 US cents) per litre, the current “110” road maintenance fee would equal the effective tax burden of about 140 litres of gasoline. This means that if a car owner consumes more than 140 litres of gas per month, he will pay more than before the reform.

For mini-car owners, such as those who drive the Chery QQ 0.8L, that burns about six litres of gasoline per 100 kilometres (km) of driving, as long as the car is used less than 77 km per day, the cost will not increase; for middle class family car owners who use eight to nine litres per 100 km, 55 km per day is a tipping point; but the final cost will likely be much higher for gasoline-gulping SUV owners. 

Still, for now, despite the new 0.8 yuan per litre tax policy, prices at the fuel pump have not increased. It has not affected the nearly 0.91-yuan per litre cut in gasoline prices announced on December 19, 2008. The recent changes basically equal a total decrease of nearly 1.8 yuan per litre of gasoline.

Taxi drivers, too, have sighed with relief. They were vulnerable to any fuel-tax increase, as they consume much more than private car owners, often cruising 13,000 km to 15,000 km along city streets per month. This could have raised their fuel taxes by 1,000 yuan to 1,200 yuan (US$150 to $180) per month.

The new tax gets a mixed review from agriculturalists, who paid no road maintenance fees in the past and who mainly consume diesel. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, 33.45 million tons of diesel was used by the agricultural sector in 2007. With the implementation of the new tax rate, the tab for such usage will be 2.79 billion yuan (US$418 million) for this sector. However, the plan has taken this into consideration; the government will compensate farmers for their additional cost of fuel: details of the plan are being developed.

Another big oil product consumer, the airline industry, is benefitting from the new taxation, as jet fuel was not subject to the fuel-consumption tax, at this time. With the price cut, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) lowered the ex-factory price of jet fuel by 2,400 yuan (US$360) per ton to 5,050 yuan (US$757) per ton. The 32 percent fuel price cut was expected to alleviate pressure on the airlines arising from increasing costs. In a Caijing magazine report, an analyst from CITIC Securities, Ma Xiaoli, forecasted that the latest fuel price cut would enable Air China, China Southern and China Eastern to save 3.4 billion yuan (US$510 million), 4.9 billion yuan (US$735 million) and 3.2 billion yuan (US$480 million) in fuel costs in 2009.

In the first three quarters of 2008, Air China and China Southern posted losses of 660 million yuan (US$99 million) and 2.3 billion yuan (US$345 million), while China Eastern reported a slight profit of 20 million yuan (US$3 million). Losses were attributed to increased fuel costs and slackening demand.

But the fuel price slump has been beneficial to air travellers. The NDRC and the Civil Aviation Administration of China have cut the fuel surcharge on flight routes of more than 800 km to 40 yuan (US$6) from 150 yuan (US$22.50) per passenger, and the surcharge for shorter routes fell to 20 yuan (US$3) from 80 yuan (US$12) per passenger on December 25.

 Industry insiders said that 70 percent of China’s domestic flight routes are shorter than 800 km, so the effective surcharge cut for an average flight is about 74 percent.

 

Why Now?

 

The call for fuel consumption tax reform has been constant for more than ten years. So why has the government chosen to do it now? Some experts and governmental officials say the current low world crude oil price and changes in the Chinese economy have finally made the reform possible.

World crude-oil prices have plunged by almost 70 percent from a peak of US$147 per barrel in mid-July 2008. However, the price of oil products hasn’t been changed from 6.3 yuan (90 US cents) per litre when the crude price was more than US$120 in June 2008.

This ensures enough space for the December 19 price cut and even the added fuel consumption tax without causing a surge in consumer prices, while at the same time instituting measures that will likely improve China’s energy-use efficiency.

The consumption tax’s indirect relation to variations in world oil prices will sharpen incentives for using energy more efficiently in China at any international price level, wrote John Kemp, a Reuters columnist about the reform.

China has been an inefficient user of energy. But 30 years of over-use of all kinds of resources has made the old model of growth unsustainable. Reducing energy consumption per unit of growth of GDP (gross domestic product) has been a top governmental priority.

Policy-makers have used investment controls and other administrative measures to limit the expansion of energy-intensive industries, which are major contributors to China’s export revenue.

But efforts to increase energy efficiency have not been as effective as desired, as the government continued to hold prices for gasoline, diesel, thermal coal and many other resources below international levels, using price controls and subsidies. The government’s strategy for improving energy efficiency came into conflict with the its priorities for economic and social stability.

Extensive price controls and subsidies largely insulated households and businesses from the rise in international oil and energy prices, blunting the incentive to improve energy efficiency.

But as the economy has slowed sharply and international oil prices have tumbled, the government has come under pressure to cut fuel charges, according to Kemp.

Instead, the NDRC has introduced measures designed to provide short-term economic relief while reserving the right to hike prices for oil products in the long run.

Experts believe the move emulates the successful resource conservation strategies used in Europe and Japan, where heavy fuel taxes have spurred the use of much more fuel-efficient vehicles and much lower energy consumption per unit of GDP has been achieved.

Europe and Japan took advantage of relatively low oil prices during the late 1980s and 1990s to substantially increase excise taxes on the consumption of gasoline and diesel. China’s decision to raise the consumption tax on gasoline and diesel looks like it could be the first in a series of phased increases over time, similar to the United Kingdom’s “fuel duty escalator.”

 

Who Will Pay the Bill?

 

Someone has to pay for the added tax burden: if it is not the consumers, then it must be the refiners. With the new tax and December 19 price cut, can China’s oil companies still generate profits?

Industry insiders assert the added tax and price cuts will directly hurt refiners. However, lower prices will also boost demand for oil products, which has tumbled in recent months.

Statistics indicate that oil-product consumption in the nation slowed in September and October 2008. China’s commercial gasoline and diesel inventories edged up to record highs again in November, although the pace of the rise slowed as refiners tried to keep stocks in check.

“Slashing of oil product prices just brings the profits of oil refiners to a more reasonable level, which will have a positive effect on them,” said Wang Jing, a researcher with Orient Securities.

Actually, the price cut was made possible by a disparity between current world crude prices and domestic oil product prices, which has left refiners with hefty profits. After all, about 80 percent of crude oil used in China is imported.

Industry insiders say the price before December 19 was based on a crude price of US$83 per barrel, and the price of No. 93 gasoline should linger between 4.9 yuan to 6.5 yuan, after the new tax, given the crude price fluctuating at US$40–$70. It means that if world oil prices remain at the current levels, there will still be room for price cuts in the future. 

For the same reason, if the world crude price soars again, it will be reflected in the price of oil products domestically, allowing this reform to optimize the pricing mechanism for domestic oil products. It means domestically produced crude oil will continue to be directly linked to the international oil market, while the price of oil products remains indirectly linked, and controlled relative to the world market. The aim, the plan said, is to “establish a pricing mechanism that reflects changes in world oil market and production cost of enterprises, and the relationship between supply and demand in the domestic market; reflects the rarity of oil resources while taking into account the maximum cost that the society can bear.”

The idea of replacing road tolls with a fuel consumption tax was brought up as early as 1998. It’s been delayed again and again, because of disagreements between the central and local governments on ways of sharing the oil revenue and rising world crude oil prices, said Gao Peiyong, deputy director of the Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in an interview with Xinhua.

China tried to directly link its oil and oil product markets to the international market in the 1990s. But, to alleviate the effects of soaring global prices during the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, the government stepped in to control domestic oil product prices. In 2006, the central government made it clear that China’s domestic oil prices would be indirectly linked to the world market. Implementation of this mechanism failed, however, because of soaring global prices. As a result, domestic oil prices have failed to adjust to the world market, especially in the first nine months of 2008, and this resulted in losses to major refiners and a shortage of supply.

The new plan stipulates that prices for domestic oil products will be based on world crude prices, adding average production costs, taxes and reasonable profit margins, and changed the current controlled fluctuating system of retail pricing to a government-set price cap that allows price fluctuations of up to 4 percent below the cap as opposed to 8 percent under the former plan.

Although the fuel consumption tax reform has been smoothly implemented thanks to current relatively low oil prices, this is not good news for everyone, especially with the cancellation of road maintenance fees and several other tolls and charges for second-class highways.

Before, all these road and waterway tolls belonged to local governments. But now, the fuel tax is levied as central tax revenue, although a major portion of the funds will be returned to local governments for local projects.

Figures show that in 2007, the six categories of fees totalled about 130 billion yuan (US$19.5 billion), while the road toll at second-class highways was estimated at 20 billion yuan (US$3 billion). Now, the added fuel-consumption tax will generate about 165 billion yuan (US$24.7 billion) in revenue, if calculated on the average consumption of 60 million tones of gasoline and 120 million tones of diesel every year.

According to the new plan, fuel-consumption-tax revenues will be used to create a special fund to support road and waterway maintenance and management; to service loans of second-class highways; to subsidize agriculture, disadvantaged groups and public projects; and also properly manage an estimated 300,000 people who work at toll stations.


 

燃油税费改革开启2009新篇章
 

编写/薛京晶

200911日起,中国开始实施成品油税费改革,根据中国国务院在20081218发布的《关于实施成品油价格和税费改革的通知》,取消公路养路费、航道养护费、公路运输管理费、公路客货运附加费、水路运输管理费、水运客货运附加费等六项收费,并逐步有序取消已审批的政府还贷二级公路收费。同时,在不提高现行成品油价格的前提下,将汽油消费税单位税额由每升0.2元提高到1元,柴油由每升0.1元提高到0.8元,其它成品油单位税额相应提高。这次调整税额形成的成品油消费税收入主要用于替代公路养路费等六项收费的支出,补助各地取消已审批的政府还贷二级公路收费,并对种粮农民、部分困难群体和公益性行业给予必要扶持。相关业内专家认为,这是新成品油定价机制开始运行的一大标志,中国油价的制定此后不再参照成品油价格,而是以国际原油市场价格为参照,价格形成机制将更加科学和灵活。

 

有效的财政调节手段

 

燃油税实质上就是通过将养路费捆绑到油价上,将每辆汽车要交的养路费转换成税费,更多地体现了多用多缴,少用少缴的公平原则。燃油税普遍被视为是最有效的财政调节手段,按照国际惯例,它是一项以提高油品价格来控制消费总量、提升能源使用效率的财政政策,并非仅仅是税费之间的转换

目前,世界大多数发达国家已经普遍实施燃油税。其中,美国对汽油征收30%的税率,英国的税率是73%,日本的税率是120%,德国的税率是260%,法国的税率是300%。各国征收燃油税的方式也有所区别:美国不是将所有公路使用税全部并入燃油税,其道路资金来源除燃油税外还存在多种公路使用税。欧洲很多国家自20世纪70年代开始推行燃油税,主要有两个目的:控制汽车能源消耗和筹措资金进行道路交通系统维护。

中央财经大学税务学院副院长刘桓认为:中国政府选择当前出台这项改革方案,主要是看到了国际油价大幅下跌带来的契机。所谓燃油税改革的最佳时间,即在国际原油价格大幅回落之后,国内成品油价格高出海外同类产品价格,政府就能够通过下调国内零售成品油价、征收燃油税并举的方式,减少国内的成品油油价波动,以便减轻对零售市场和社会的冲击。

19941月开始,海南省在中国率先将公路养护费、道路通行费、过桥费和公路运输管理费四费合一,改为只征收机动车辆燃油附加费,这是中国政府燃油税费改革的起点。如今,中国成品油价税费改革的探索已经走过了15年的长路。

 

抑制燃油的不合理消费

 

中国国家发展和改革委员会价格司的相关负责人表示,成品油价税费改革的最主要目的,是为了保持中国经济社会的可持续发展,抑制燃油的不合理消费。近年来,中国经济发展与资源环境的矛盾突出,节能减排工作任务艰巨。一方面,随着经济发展和人民生活水平提高,中国对石油的需求量不断增加。由于资源匮乏,中国从1993年由石油净出口国变为净进口国,对外依存度逐年提高,目前已达到50%。另一方面,中国石油利用效率低、单耗水平高、浪费现象严重。随着机动车保有量的快速增长,耗油量急剧增加,燃油污染也日益严重。目前大城市80%以上的一氧化碳、40%以上的氮氧化物来自机动车尾气排放。

中国国务院发展研究中心产业经济研究部部长冯飞表示,燃油税费改革就是要形成多用油多负担,少用油少负担的机制,有助于小排量和节能环保汽车的发展,促进公共交通发展,抑制浪费。近期国际油价的大幅度回落,为在不提高成品油价格的前提下引入这种机制提供了良好的时机。这次改革不仅不提高成品油价格,而且因相关收费的取消减轻了社会负担,符合当前扩大内需、保持经济平稳较快增长的要求,同时有助于节能减排,推动汽车工业的技术进步和结构调整,有利于形成节约型的生产方式和消费方式。

 

1元钱税额的含义

 

在目前汽油价格不变的情况下,将汽油消费税单位税额由每升0.2元提高到1元,这就是今后消费税的1元钱。

中国国家发展和改革委员会能源研究所研究员周大地解释说:“‘费改税是本次燃油税费改革的基础,过去征收的费用现在要大约折合成每升油的价格,但这不是精确的比例计算,因为含在其中的消费量等各种变化还是比较大的。对于消费者来说,征收1元钱税额主要考虑到了几个方面的因素:首先,存在一个化零为整的前提,如果精确到几分几厘不利于实际操作。其次,考虑到了消费者目前的承受能力。再次,改革的主要内容还是费改税,过去费用收取的数量要化解到未来的税收中去。所以增加出的0.8元大概反映出了费改税的部分和费改税后需要解决的一些社会负担问题。因此,中国政府确定了这个目前看来比较低的消费税数值。

北京大学政府管理学院教授张国庆认为:这次燃油税费改革的基本出发点是将过去的收费转成税收,这是一个很重要的改变。另外,从总量上来看,将原来的费用与现在的费用大体上形成一种对应关系,这是计算价格的一个基本思路。同时。由于在改革过程中提出了八字方针’——公平、规范、节约和减负,相比起来,大多数消费者对最后一项减负是最感兴趣的,这样来看,普通消费者(普通家用经济车型的消费者)可能自己就会有一个预期:既然是减负,将养路费去掉后与又增加出的这部分钱相抵销后,在实际用车辆不变的情况下,一年用车的总开支是不是可以略微减少一些,从这个意义上讲,大多数人还是可以接受的。

从环保和能源的价值方面来看,中国经济发展研究基金会副秘书长汤敏认为:燃油税应该在改革后的价格基础上再增加1元,用于补助公共交通等方面,因为从当今世界的环保趋势看来,汽油对大气污染、对二氧化碳的排放应该逐渐减少,从这个意义上说,应该使用价格的杠杆来调节,如果多增加1元钱,使更多的人可以乘坐公共交通工具出行,也可以带动城市交通基础设施的建设,使公共交通更加方便,减少人们对于私家车的依赖。或者说人们购买了私家车以后,可以在周末上路行驶,这样既达到了汽车工业可以发展,同时也不会增加对大气过分的污染。目前,世界上大部分国家和地区如中国香港、印度等地的油价要比世界平均油价高出很多,即使中国政府在目前改革的基础上再增加1元钱,增加后的油价也是比国际平均油价偏低的,特别是对于中国这样一个需要大量进口石油的国家来说,如果油价高一些,那么中国的混合动力车、电车等就会很快的发展,这样可以形成一个良性循环。否则,这种低油价政策补助的只是一些少数有车的人,对于大部分没有车的百姓来说,并没有真正享受到低油价带来的好处。

目前,世界上大多数国家的汽油费用是明显高于国际平均油价的,如果将这些国家的汽油钱折合成人民币来看,大约每升汽油需要10元左右,燃油税的税率大约在5—7元左右,因此中国1元钱的税率是相对比较低的,但由于中国目前经济的发展又遇到了一次比较严重的世界经济危机,因此目前国家对于燃油税确定的一个比较低的起征点,也是考虑到在目前的经济条件下,不宜给石油消费方增加过多的负担,这是从长期来看的。周大地解释说。

对于此次燃油税改革是否可以持久,周大地认为可以维持相当长的一段时间,因为税率一旦确定后不会随时马上调整,但是价格会跟着国际油价来调整,调整的部分不会是税率本身。

 

建立成品油价市场变动机制

2006年,中国政府就明确提出,国内成品油价格与国际市场原油价格实行有控制地间接接轨,200911日起实施的燃油税费改革依然继续坚持这个原则,主要基于以下考虑:一是国际市场原油属世界性流通产品,而中国有一半的原油需要进口,原油价格不直接接轨,国际市场资源就难以进入国内市场,国内市场的供应也难以得到保证。二是近年来国际油价因受基金投机炒作等不正常因素影响严重扭曲,国内成品油价格与国际市场有控制地间接接轨,将避免国际市场油价大幅波动对国内市场带来的不利影响。三是国内成品油市场需求基本由国内加工能力提供,按照国际市场的原油价格、加工成本、税收和合理利润等确定国内成品油价格,更符合中国国情。

目前,中国国内的汽油、柴油含税零售价格均高于美国,但低于欧洲和亚洲一些主要国家。这主要是由于各国政府能源政策取向不同和成品油税负水平差异较大造成的。美国是世界上最早生产石油的国家,由于其早期石油资源可以自给自足,因此在历史上采取了低税负的政策,并延续至今,所以目前成品油含税零售价格水平相对较低。而欧洲和亚洲的一些主要国家由于石油资源匮乏,为抑制石油消费采取了高税负的政策,消费者购买成品油实际支出水平相对较高。

中国财政部财政科学研究所所长、研究员贾康分析说:从静态来看,2009年燃油税费改革的一个很明确要求就是成品油在零售环节表现的价位不变。从动态来看,由于今后的国内成品油价格与国际市场原油价格之间会有一个间接联动的机制,如果国际市场原油价格继续走低,那么中国的私家车主就会在这个走低期间继续受益,这是一个实实在在的好处。

贾康认为,在目前已经形成的市场经济中,中国油价与世界油价应该形成一种联动的关系。但是相关部门在处理时更多的考虑是将原来的单一价格上升为目前的价税费联动的配套改革,所以从这个角度来说,重点是集中精力、抓住时机推出改革,而在改革推出后也就同时解决了大家关心的长期价格联动新机制的问题。这种联动机制就是外部涨,内部也涨,但不是简单的跟着上涨,要做一些柔性处理,使其发展的和缓一些,所以长期来看,更合理的是形成一个价格机制。而中国目前还处于转型过程,有关价格形成机制还是要与国际油价接轨,目前的国内用油有50%是从国外进口的,有50%是自己生产的,所以关于这个定价机制本身也是比较复杂的。但不管怎么样,燃油税改革后形成的新机制已经很好地注重了公众知情和公众监督,是值得肯定的。

贾康分析说:成品油的价格形成机制不是简单的只考虑税和费的问题,同时要配套形成新的、能够有效适应市场经济环境,也适应社会公众要求的成品油随行就市变动机制。所以虽然改革后油价没有变化,但是今后每升油的价格与此前的价格涵义是完全不同的,它加进了税,清除了一些费,使社会上用小排量车的人得到更多的实惠,形成了今后的节能减排的导向,这种导向又必然会拉动汽车生产厂家,考虑适应需求多生产小排量汽车,实际上限制了大排量汽车的生产,促进了国家的环保实施和发展方式转变,这些才是大家的根本利益所在。

 

开征燃油税影响四大行业

 

《关于实施成品油价格和税费改革的通知》发布后,市场也快速发生了变化。多家机构分析师近日对成品油和燃油税的具体分析来看,主要将对石油化工、汽车、航空航运、高速公路等四大行业产生影响。

 

石油化工行业:炼油毛利扭亏转赢

中国银河证券股份有限公司分析师认为,由于国家和地方都没有总量含税油的数据,石油商通常会减少含税油量而增加非含税油量。这样本来随着国际油价的下降而相应下调的国内成品油价格有很大一部分实际上保住了原来高价位,故燃油税改革后,中国石油天然气集团公司(以下简称中国石油)和中国石油化工集团公司(以下简称中国石化)两大集团会比预期的业绩要好。同时,推进成品油价改革有利于长期理顺价格机制。2009年,预计国内炼油毛利将从-752/吨上升至68.7/吨以上。由于燃油税改革的推出,使中国石化2009年的业绩预测上调至0.65(原预测0.56),中国石油2009年的业绩预测上调至1.05(原预测1)

 

汽车行业:小排量车成为最大受益者

根据中国国家统计局2008年发布的《2007年国民经济和社会发展统计公报》显示:截至2007年末,中国的私人轿车保有量已经达到了1522万辆,中国每100户城镇居民家庭中有家用轿车的比例约为5%

耗油指标的确日渐成为越来越多消费者购车的选择标准。省油口碑良好的日系车在北京2009年的元旦车市中很抢手。据北京一家日产汽车专营店的销售顾问介绍,元旦当天,日产TIIDA系列产品(骐达和颐达)销售很好,目前已经没有样品和存货了。很明显,燃油税的出台推动了日系车的销售力度。这位销售顾问表示。

新华信国际信息咨询(北京)有限公司为此进行了一项调查统计,在行驶里程不变的情况下,实施燃油税费改革后,微型车(发动机排气量不超过1L)每年需要多支付1079.6元,小型车(发动机排气量在1.0—1.5L左右)需要多支付3106.8元,紧凑型车(发动机排气量一般在1.6—2.0左右)需要多支付2904.5元,中型车(发动机排气量一般在2.0—3.0左右)需要多支付4906元,中大型车(发动机排气量一般3.0以上)需要多支付4822元。

 

航空航运行业:业绩提升不容小觑

对航运业而言,船舶使用的成品油主要是船用燃料油和柴油,船用燃料油作为动力油,而柴油主要用于船舶发电,两者的比例约为9:1。业内专家根据目前的情况分析指出,船用燃料油征收燃油税的可能性不大,而柴油价格的上涨对上市公司的业绩影响也不大。以中海发展股份有限公司为例,公司柴油的使用比例为10%,即使假设现有柴油价格不变,燃油税征收比例为30%,该公司50%柴油在国内加油,则对公司业绩影响为0.023元。如果考虑到成品油价的下调,其影响基本可以忽略。

对航空业而言,由于航油不属于燃油税征收范围,开征燃油税对航空机场业没有影响。考虑到航油占航空公司总成本的比例已高达40%,随着国内对航油价格的下调将有利于缓解航空公司经营压力,从而对航空公司形成利好。

 

高速公路行业:直接影响有限

对于高速公路行业来说,开征燃油税一是取代公路养路费、公路客货运附加费、公路运输管理费四项收费,不会取消高速公路收费。二是体现在以车流量的变化来间接影响高速公路公司通行费的收入。

高速公路行业的节油优势将会对交通需求产生明显的吸引作用。首先是根据国家对道路的分类标准,以一类道路为基数,汽车在二类道路上行驶油耗提高10%,在三类道路上要高25%,在四类道路上要高35%,在五类道路上要高45%,在六类道路上要高70%。高速公路的这一特征必然使得车辆优先选择它,在油价越高的时期,这一倾向越是明显。其次,对于饱和的高速公路具有明显的扩容作用。由于重车、大车的节油效果非常明显,从长期发展来看,中国的车型结构将会朝着重型化、大型化方向发展。轻型货车改为重型货车和小客车改为大客车后,单车运输能力提高,节约了高速公路的时空资源,对于已经饱和的路段来说,能够提高货物和旅客的输送能力,增加公司的收费收入。

 

百姓如何计算燃油账

 

燃油税改革后,征收费用的多少只与用油量的多少相关,即多用油,多缴税;少用油,少缴税,改变了原来同级别汽车无论用油量多少,所缴的养路费都是一样的局面。但是,百姓的疑问也随之而来,最主要的问题是燃油税出台后,私家车车主养车的费用到底是增加了还是减少?

相关业内专家特别为百姓计算了一笔经济账:首先是减少了费用,以北京的私家车为例,在不提高成品油价格的前提下,车主每月可以减少110元的养路费和一些收费公路的费用,每年至少直接减少1320元的车辆费用。而对于增加的部分费用来说,按北京家用小轿车每月缴纳养路费110元计算,增加的消费税按每升0.8元稽征,每月如果消耗140汽油,新增的燃油消费税和取消的养路费刚好持平。如果用油量超过140就需要增加支出。

比如以排气量1.4的小型轿车为例,如果其百公里耗油量是7,那么假如暂定其1年行驶2万公里,需要消耗1400汽油,按照这样的比例来计算,在开征燃油税之前,1年会消耗8918元的汽油费,再加上每年的车船使用费480元和养路费1320元,一年的全部费用是10718元。而开征燃油税之后,在去除养路费和其它费用保持不变的情况下,加上增加的一部分汽油费1120元,一年的全部费用是10518元,节省200元。

对于排气量稍微高一些的轿车来说,比如以排气量为2.0的轿车为例,按照上面的方法来计算,在开征燃油税之前,如果其百公里耗油是11,那么假如暂定其1年行驶2万公里,需要消耗2200汽油,按照这样的比例来计算,在开征燃油税之前,1年会消耗14014元的汽油费,再加上每年的车船使用费480元和养路费1320元,一年的全部费用是15814元。而开征燃油税之后,在去除养路费和其它费用保持不变的情况下,加上增加的一部分汽油费用1760元,一年的全部费用是16254元,增加了440元。

一些汽车生产厂家也进行了测算,对于每百公里平均耗油量为6.8左右的轿车来说,这种耗油量是在真空环境下,直线匀速行驶并且时速在90公里的情况下测算得出的。加上北方地区冬季加开空调等因素,按每百公里耗油量8计算,一个月要消耗96汽油。按照每升汽油加0.8元的燃油税,每月要多支出76.8元。根据国家取消养路费的规定,每月可少交100元,加上减免的道路运输管理费等其它5项费用,每月还可以多节省30元。照此推算,排气量2.0的轿车每月行驶1600公里,月耗油量为128的时候,其增加的税费和减少的费用大致持平。

先生是北京一家民营企业的销售部经理,拥有一辆排气量3.0的轿车。用车的时间除了上下班,平常还有大量的应酬和为家人的服务。按照他的粗略估算,每月行驶的路程大约是3000公里。耗油量大约每百公里12。按照他的行驶公里数,每月至少使用360汽油,按照每升增加0.8元的燃油税计算,增加的费用为288元。然而,他每月减免的费用只有100元,因此油改税后,忽略油价的调整,每月超支188元。那么按照他的耗油量推算,每月耗油量在130公升左右较为平衡。也就是说,3.0排量的汽车每月使用路程在1100公里左右,差不多可以达到平衡点。

综合上述的计算后发现,无论排量和路程,私家车油改税后的费用变化有个用油平衡点,那就是每月用油超过105的,增加的税大致就要超过节约的费用了。

周大地对此表示,对于费改税来说,将各种费用转成税收后形成了一个真正的公共财政,在管理和分配方面更具备透明度,符合目前税费改革的大方向,但是从消费者来看,确实有这样一个引导:过去在收取养路费的时候不是根据开什么样的车和开多长时间,而是取决于车中的座位数量,这其实是不太公平的,因为会出现每年行驶1万公里10万公里,缴纳的养路费是一样多的,但是改革后的标准就不同了,对那些开车行驶的路程少,车也是比较省油的车主来说,在费改税的过程中不但没有增加负担,反而会减少支出。但是对于驾驶高耗油车型和行驶公里数多的,那么负担确实是费改税前要高。但这些假设都是在油价不会出现变动的情况下,但就目前这次调价来看,由于目前国际油价在下降,而中国的调价是希望国内油价可以更快的反应出国际原油价格的变化情况,那么整个油价在这次是要降低的,在这种情况下,从短时间来看,只要目前的国际油价不再重新回升的原来的价格,那么大多数人包括开车多的人都是可以减轻负担的。

 

特殊群体利益得到保障

 

据中国国家财政部税政司相关负责人介绍,本次成品油价税费改革,含税后的汽、柴油价格并没有提高,所以不会给农民的农业生产用油增加新的负担。而且,在现行成品油价格的水平上,国家已经对种粮农民、部分困难群众和公益性行业给予了补贴。本次燃油税改革后,原有的油价补贴政策将继续执行并加以完善。如果当年成品油价格的变动引起农民种粮支出增加,中央财政将把这部分补贴纳入农资综合直补政策,进行统筹安排,加大对种粮农民的综合直补。通过财政已经建立的对农民的直补渠道,把补贴直接发到农民手中。

清华大学经济管理学院经济学系主任白重恩认为,此次燃油税费改革,大多数车主都通过取消公路养路费减轻了部分负担。可是农机原来就不交养路费,农民相当于在这一块得到的实惠反而少了。因此,方案决定对农民原有的油价补贴政策继续执行是合理的。如果油价上涨导致农机户成本增加,那么农机户的收割价格可适当提高,这样种粮农民手中的补贴就通过市场机制自然流向了农机户。如果直接补贴给农机户,那操作起来就会相当麻烦,农机数量、收割面积、耗油量都很难确定,反而容易出现假报冒领现象,使补贴政策打折扣。

燃油税改革对出租车行业也产生了很多影响,不过目前大多数出租车司机对改革都表示理解,但对一些实际问题感到比较迷惑:一是原来出租车的公路养路费都是公司代交的,改革后取消了公路养路费,这与自身的实惠有什么关系?二是方案中提到在出租车运价调整前,继续由财政给予临时补贴,是否意味着出租车运价要进行调整,然后取消补贴?最让司机担心的还有,如果将来油价上涨,运营支出增加该如何计算和分摊。

白重恩认为出租车司机提出这些问题,既关系到司机的切身利益,也关系到出租车行业的稳定。出租车行驶时间长,耗油多,燃油税改革后司机的税负压力增加,省下来的养路费应该由公司通过减少份钱的方式返还给司机。此外,在中国经济受到国际金融风暴影响的情况下,目前不宜上调出租车运价。白重恩建议,对于未来油价上涨,出租车运营负担加重的风险,不能一味地靠政府补贴来解决,也不能让出租车司机把所有问题一起扛。比较可行的办法是在国家补贴、市场消化的同时,由出租车公司和司机通过协商共同分担市场风险。

     

解决30万人的撤岗分流

 

200911,中国成品油税费改革正式开始,同时取消公路养路费等六项收费,并逐步有序取消政府还贷二级公路车辆通行费。但这也随之带来了全国10万名编制内的征稽人员和20万名二级公路收费站合同工正在张望自己的命运。庞大人数的安置问题,曾被认为是拖延中国燃油税费改革步伐的因素之一。据相关人士介绍,随着燃油税费改革正式开始,中国正式撤岗面临分流的人员近30万人。其中主要有两个来源:一是养路费等六项费用的稽征人员,多为事业单位编制内人员。二是政府还贷二级公路收费站点的收费人员,以合同工为主。

在中国政府出台的《关于实施成品油价格和税费改革的通知》中提出了国家转岗不下岗、待安置期间级别不变、合规合理的待遇不变的总体要求,并且提到了安置的措施主要有三条:一是交通运输行业内部转岗。二是税务部门接收。三是地方人民政府统筹协调,多种渠道安置。

相比而言,更多的是星罗棋布在各地二级公路上的收费站工作人员,他们的队伍规模是20万人左右。统计资料显示,截至2007年末,中国二级公路里程27.6万公里。在中国收费公路总里程中,二级收费公路里程和收费站均占总量的60%左右。逐步有序取消政府还贷二级公路收费,能够使收费公路里程和收费站点数量减少一半以上。

根据中国交通运输部公布的资料显示,这次部分取消的二级公路收费站点人员,大多数为没有编制的合同工。对他们的安置思路大致有两种:取消时还在合同期内的,转岗到新增的高速公路收费站点,劳动合同不会因国家政策变化提前终止。二是合同期满后,根据各地人员需求情况,灵活掌握是否续签合同,这种合同期限一般在2—3年内。这部分人员中如果属于有事业编制的人员,将转入公路管理机构。转岗的岗位还包括高速公路服务站、长途汽车站、货运汽车场、停车场、道路维修养护、汽车维修保养等。此外,还可办理提前退休、退岗等。      

另外,按照中国交通运输部安置小组的规划,由于费改税后,仍然遗存大量的收尾善后工作,而且大量的二级公路收费是逐步、有序取消的。所以这20万名收费工作人员的安置不会一步到位,需要2—3年才能完成。  

长期以来,拥有逾千万人口数量的北京,公共交通设施尤其是轨道交通并不发达,公共交通承担的出行比例远落后于东京、巴黎等城市。直到2008年奥运会期间,北京公共交通承担的出行比例才最高攀升至45%(奥运会前约为26%),但相比世界其它大城市的公共交通出行比例的60%—80%,北京依然远远落后。与此同时,北京机动车总数已经达到350万辆,并且正以每日千余辆的速度增长,仅2008年全年就新增机动车48万辆,机动车发展速度大大超过道路面积的扩展速度⋯⋯

这些现实的问题,使燃油税不会成为解决北京交通拥堵问题的根本之道,而任何限行措施也仅能算得上是城市交通问题的临时措施。有关专家指出,要让北京出行提速,还得发展城市轨道交通和建设快速公交车道等公共交通设施。同时,可从基本停车位上给予限制新车增速,即在购车时提供停车证,并减少社会停车位,提高停车收费。另外,到20094月,北京五日制限行措施将结束,届时,北京交通又将面临新挑战。而北京市制定的后奥运时代交通发展蓝图指出,在加快北京轨道交通建设等的同时,将研究制订推行差别化停车配建标准,提高并实行差别化停车收费价格等,以有效调控小汽车出行,这成为对政府治理北京交通问题的考验。

 



 
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