China received 4.074 billion yuan-worth of donations during the
outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), according to
the latest statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
So far, 3.245 billion yuan has been distributed and 829 million
yuan-worth of donations was left over, with the cash transformed to
a special account.
Yang Yanyin, vice minister of Civil Affairs, told a news
conference?in Beijing?Thursday that they are preserving
the remaining donations for future use and promised that the
ministry will make good use of it.
"Besides the prevention and treatment of SARS, the leftover
donation will be used to set up a medical aid fund, improve the
rural medical care system and aid people in need," said Yang.
Of the total, the civil affairs departments received 1.49
billion yuan, while the health departments received 1.47 billion
yuan, the Red Cross Society of China and its local branches, 636
million yuan, and the China Charity Federation and its local
branches, 273 million yuan.
More than half of the donations came from companies and
individuals in the mainland of China.
These donations were mostly used in treating SARS patients and
suspects, aiding them and their families, buying prevention
facilities for the poor, and providing subsidies to medical
workers.
To ensure good management of the donations, the ministry has
registered each bill of donation and made clear the use of each
cent, said Yang.
To encourage firms and individuals to donate, the state also
adopted preferential tax policies, allowing donors to deduct the
donation from their taxable income. As for overseas donations, the
state exempted tariff and value-added taxes during the import.
(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2003)