The Deputy Minister of Finance, Wang Dongwei, stated at a press conference of the State Council Information Office today that he is considering moving the consumption tax collection process back and gradually transferring it to local governments, and will consider the division of central and local government income, tax collection and management capabilities, and other factors, implementing it cautiously by item and step to expand local revenue sources and guide local improvement of the consumption environment. He is also researching the merger of urban maintenance and construction tax, education surcharges, and local education surcharges into a local surtax, and authorized local governments to determine specific applicable tax rates within a certain range, as well as reforming the environmental protection tax by including volatile organic compounds into the collection scope. (China Net)