Consumption has a lasting pulling force on the economy, which is related to ensuring and improving people's livelihood. The general office of the State Council recently issued the opinions on further releasing consumption potential and promoting the sustainable recovery of consumption (hereinafter referred to as the opinions), which put forward 20 key measures in five aspects from the perspective of systematically and comprehensively promoting consumption. What is the background of the opinions? How to better tap consumption potential? The reporter conducted an interview. Both long-term and current focus According to the relevant person in charge of the national development and Reform Commission, on the one hand, the "opinions" focus on the long term, strive to smooth the national economic cycle, open up the whole chain and all links of production, distribution, circulation and consumption, and provide more solid support for cultivating a complete domestic demand system, forming a strong domestic market and building a new development pattern; On the other hand, focus on the current situation, coordinate epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, actively respond to the impact of the epidemic on consumption, strive to stabilize current consumption, effectively ensure consumption supply, and promote the sustained recovery of consumption. "Consumption is the first driving force of economic growth, and the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to GDP growth in the first quarter was 69.4%." Guoliyan, director of the comprehensive situation research office of the Chinese Academy of macroeconomic research, believes that the role of consumption as a "ballast stone" will still appear. The opinions closely focuses on the current major issues that restrict the release of consumption potential, and systematically deploys it in line with the new requirements of people's good life and the new trend of consumption upgrading, which will help promote the accelerated recovery of consumption and the full release of potential. In accordance with the requirements of combining goal orientation and problem orientation, short-term support and medium - and long-term promotion, the opinions put forward five key measures, including: responding to the impact of the epidemic and promoting the orderly recovery and development of consumption; Comprehensively innovate and improve quality, and strive to stabilize the consumption base; Improve the support system and continuously enhance the comprehensive ability of consumption development; Continue to deepen reform and strive to create a safe, secure and honest consumption environment; Strengthen safeguard measures and further consolidate the foundation for high-quality consumption development. Among them, the "opinions" proposed to focus on the main body of the security market to increase the efforts to help enterprises to rescue, increase employment income and improve consumption capacity. "Keeping market players will help stabilize employment and increase income, which is the key to promoting the improvement of consumption ability and willingness, and help to provide more high-quality consumer products and services." Guo Liyan said. Stabilize market players, fully guarantee supply and promote new consumption In April, the year-on-year growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods reached the low point since the first half of this year. In May and June thereafter, as the epidemic situation was effectively controlled and the consumption promotion policy was effective, domestic consumption rebounded steadily. In June, the total retail sales of social consumer goods turned from decline to increase, with a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. Recently, the momentum of consumption stabilization has further strengthened. According to the relevant person in charge of the national development and Reform Commission, the next step will be to make great efforts to "stabilize", "maintain" and "renew" and strive to promote the sustained recovery of consumption. —— Strengthen "stability" and strive to stabilize the consumption base. We will implement the relief and support measures for catering, retail, tourism, civil aviation and other industries in need, encourage local governments to increase assistance, and support local governments to introduce measures in accordance with the law in light of actual conditions, so as to stabilize more consumer service market players. It is noteworthy that the Opinions also proposed to support the construction of consumption related infrastructure and service guarantee capacity, and eligible projects can be included in the support scope of local government special bonds, so as to better bring consumption with investment. "Consumption related infrastructure includes not only traditional consumption infrastructure such as Township commerce and trade complex and cold chain logistics facilities, but also new consumption infrastructure, such as promoting 5g network, Internet of things and other coverage of core business districts, and promoting the construction and sharing of terminals such as intelligent express boxes." Long Shaobo, deputy director of the public economy and public policy research center of Chongqing University, introduced that supporting the construction of consumption related infrastructure and service guarantee capacity can play an investment multiplier effect, stimulate local economic growth, expand employment and increase income, and also support the accelerated development of new business forms and new models, so as to promote the expansion and quality improvement of new consumption. —— Pay attention to "guarantee" and spare no effort to ensure consumption supply. In combination with the situation and needs of epidemic prevention and control, support large and medium-sized cities to scientifically plan and build a batch of suburban warehouse bases integrating warehousing, sorting, processing, packaging and other functions, ensure the timely transportation of living materials nearby in case of emergency, and effectively ensure that the circulation of consumer goods is not disordered. "Circulation is connected with production at one end and consumption at the other. It is the 'artery' of the economic cycle." Guo Liyan said that the "opinions" proposed to unblock the logistics channels of important living materials, which will help to open up the blocking points of circulation and ensure the supply and price stability of basic consumer goods. —— Strengthen the "new" and give full play to the new consumption advantages that meet the needs of epidemic prevention. Promote new consumption, scientifically promote contactless trading services, accelerate the organic integration of online and offline consumption, expand and upgrade information consumption, cultivate and expand "smart +" consumption such as smart products and services, not only improve the convenience of residents' consumption, but also help the popularization of digital economy. Focus on pain points, difficulties, blocking points and institutional obstacles, and implement comprehensive measures In recent years, China's consumption scale has been steadily expanded, the structure has been continuously optimized, and the business forms have been increasingly enriched. The fundamental role of consumption in economic development has been continuously consolidated. However, compared with the major developed economies, there is still a gap in the level of consumption development in China. The consumption capacity and willingness of residents need to be strengthened, and the supply of high-quality products and services needs to be improved. "For example, in terms of service-oriented consumption, the service standards and evaluation system are not sound enough. The opinions proposes to orderly remove institutional and institutional barriers and hidden barriers in some key service consumption fields, improve service standards in tourism, vacation, pension and other fields, grasp the trend of consumption upgrading, and help to form a higher level of dynamic balance between demand driving supply and supply creating demand." Kuang Xianming, a researcher at the economic research center of China (Hainan) reform and Development Research Institute, said. In the medium and long term, how to better tap the consumption potential? According to the relevant person in charge of the national development and Reform Commission, the next step will be to focus on three aspects together with relevant departments: First, consolidate and expand consumption in key areas. For example, develop more products and services suitable for the consumption of the elderly and infants, and support the accelerated development of new energy vehicles. Second, improve the supporting system for consumption development. For example, we should promote the healthy and sustainable development of consumption platforms and improve the efficiency of public service expenditure such as education, medical care, elderly care, childcare, etc. "Focusing on the urgent problems of the people will help solve the worries at home and make the people 'dare to consume' and 'willing to consume'." Li Qingbin, a researcher at the China Macroeconomic Research Institute, said. Third, create a good consumption environment through reform. All regions shall not add new measures to restrict the purchase of vehicles, and regions that have implemented restrictions on the purchase of vehicles shall gradually increase the number of incremental indicators and relax the qualifications of car buyers. At the same time, we will also speed up the construction of the consumer credit system. "China has a large-scale domestic demand market with a population of more than 1.4 billion, and has the largest and fastest-growing middle-income group in the world. The residents' income has increased steadily, still pregnant with a large number of consumption upgrading needs." The relevant person in charge of the national development and Reform Commission said that it would aim at the personalized diversification and structural upgrading trend of residents' consumption, focus on the pain points, difficulties, blockages and institutional and institutional obstacles in the consumption field, and comprehensively implement measures to release the consumption potential. (Xinhua News Agency)