Group 1: Fiscal Revenue and GDP Ratio - Recent discussions among experts suggest increasing the fiscal revenue as a percentage of GDP, with former Finance Minister Lou Jiwei advocating for this in his 2025 paper [2][3] - The fiscal revenue ratio reflects the government's ability to concentrate financial resources from the economy and its macro-control capacity [3] - Since the 1994 tax-sharing reform, the fiscal revenue ratio has shown a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing, with the ratio dropping from 21.4% during the 12th Five-Year Plan to an average of 16.7% in the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan [5][6] Group 2: Tax Burden and Comparison with Other Economies - In 2024, the macro tax burden is reported at 28.2%, indicating room for improvement compared to the generally accepted 30% threshold [3] - China's macro tax burden is lower than 20% when measured by tax revenue as a percentage of GDP, which is below levels seen in OECD countries [4] - The decline in fiscal revenue ratio is linked to large-scale tax cuts implemented since 2019, which reduced the ratio from 28%-29% in 2018 to 26% in 2023 [6][7] Group 3: Need for Fiscal Reform - The 2023 Central Economic Work Conference highlighted the need for a new round of fiscal reform due to the significant decline in fiscal revenue ratios [7][8] - The fiscal revenue ratio for 2023 is noted to be 26%, which is lower than the 30% average for similar income countries and significantly below the 35% average for developed countries [8] - Experts emphasize the importance of improving the efficiency of fiscal spending and optimizing the expenditure structure to ensure fiscal sustainability [4][9] Group 4: Alternative Revenue Sources - Experts suggest that besides increasing tax revenue, other methods to enhance fiscal revenue include expanding the state capital operating budget and reducing unfair tax incentives [14][15] - The state capital operating budget is seen as having significant potential for growth, especially as land finance diminishes [15][17] - The current state capital operating budget revenue is reported at 6783 billion yuan for 2024, with substantial profits from state-owned enterprises indicating room for increased contributions [15][16]

Group 1 - The increase in foreign residents in Japan, which reached approximately 3.7 million by the end of last year, represents an 11% rise, the largest since records began in 2013, is expected to improve tax revenue and social insurance contributions, thereby enhancing the fiscal balance and living standards for Japanese citizens [1] - Japan's total population is projected to decline to 120.65 million in 2024, a decrease of about 908,000 from the previous year, marking a historical low, with the working-age population (ages 15-64) at approximately 71.24 million, accounting for about 59% of the total population [1] - The aging population and declining birth rates in Japan necessitate the acceleration of foreign labor recruitment, shifting initial concerns to a more relaxed immigration stance [1] Group 2 - A survey indicated that 76% of respondents support the increase of foreign workers, with 6% strongly agreeing and 70% agreeing, suggesting that foreign workers can alleviate shortages in goods and services and contribute new ideas to enhance productivity [2] - Empirical research shows that foreign workers and Japanese workers have a complementary relationship, with no negative impact on Japanese workers' wages or unemployment rates [2] - The majority of foreign residents are young and contribute more in taxes and insurance than they receive in benefits, positively affecting Japan's fiscal balance [2] - The current foreign-born population in Japan is only 3%, significantly lower than the OECD average of 11%, indicating potential challenges as this ratio increases over time [2] - Establishing long-term institutional arrangements and multicultural coexistence policies is deemed essential for sustainable integration of diverse backgrounds in society [2]

Group 1 - The Brazilian federal government has revised its 2025 budget forecast, increasing the expected spending on the "Continuous Cash Benefit" (BPC) to 124.7 billion reais, up by 2.9 billion reais from previous estimates, indicating growing pressure on the fiscal budget due to rising social security expenditures [1] - The report highlights that the spending on the BPC has been on a continuous upward trend, becoming a significant component of the government's primary expenditures, despite previous proposals to curb the rapid growth of social security spending [1] - The government has also raised its forecast for primary revenue in 2025 to 2.924 trillion reais, an increase of 25.4 billion reais, primarily benefiting from higher tax revenues related to natural resource development, with an estimated increase of 18 billion reais in tax revenues [1] Group 2 - The total primary expenditure forecast has been adjusted upwards by 5 billion reais to 2.42 trillion reais, while the government has reduced the budget freeze amount from 31.3 billion reais to 10.7 billion reais, indicating a shift in fiscal management strategies [2] - Brazil's government aims to achieve a primary fiscal balance in 2025, allowing for a deviation of no more than 31 billion reais, which is 0.25% of GDP, although the upward trend in social security and rigid expenditures remains a concern for the economic team [2] - Analysts note that the expansion of social expenditures like the BPC has a social foundation but poses challenges to government fiscal discipline, highlighting the need for the Lula administration to balance social welfare expansion with fiscal stability [2]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article highlights the Brazilian government's efforts to achieve fiscal balance through various tax adjustments and new tax measures since Lula's third term began in January 2023 [1] - Over the past three years, the Lula administration has implemented approximately 25 tax adjustments, including increasing existing tax rates, eliminating certain tax incentives, introducing new taxes, and imposing additional taxes on specific goods and services [1] - Notable measures include a special tax on the sports betting industry, the "shirt tax" on international shopping, and the financial transaction tax (IOF) [1] Group 2 - In 2023, the government has undertaken a series of measures to adjust the tax structure, including the restoration of certain tax rate incentives that were suspended during the pandemic, adjusting tax burdens on investment funds, enhancing the powers of tax dispute management agencies, and increasing tax rates related to firearms and ammunition [1]