单项选择题

Every government reform concerning taxes or fees in recent years has given rise to fierce debate in the media and on the Internet. The latest proposed reform of vehicle tax is no exception.
The National People’s Congress reviewed proposals on vehicle tax late October. Tax would be based on emissions, or engine size, according to the bill.
It suggested raising tax on all vehicles with engines bigger than 1.6 liters. This would mean most car owners would have to pay more once the bill becomes law.
Xinhua News Agency has led criticism of the bill. It has published three articles quoting experts questioning the motives and effectiveness of the proposed tax hike.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance have said that the tax rise is aimed at encouraging the use of smaller, less-polluting automobiles. They also say that it aims to redistribute wealth.
Some support the proposals for they believe by collecting more tax from rich people, the reform could redistribute wealth to some degree. Firstly, if taxes-for large, luxury vehicles increase dramatically but remain the same or lower for smaller vehicles, then naturally people would start buying smaller cars. This helps reduce automobile emissions and leads to a cleaner environment. Secondly, the additional tax revenue could be used to improve benefits for people on lower incomes, to create more jobs and to provide .better education for children from poorer families. This would help them have a better future and would redistribute wealth in society. Finally, automobile consumption in China, especially in large cities, is getting out of hand. Too many cars create serious problems such as pollution, traffic congestion and accidents. Something has to be done to control the number of cars. Heavier taxes would be very effective.
Other people disagree with the proposals, for they think that it seems as though the only aim to the tax reform is to increase income for the government. For the first place, compared with the serious wealth gap in Chinese society today, the amount of tax collected on vehicles will make almost no difference in terms of distribution of wealth. Billionaires can buy as many luxury cars as they want but poor people still can’t afford the smallest of cars. Secondly, the majority of privately-owned vehicles in China are in the 1.6 to 2 liter range. This is the most common and economical size for a family car, and is much less polluting than luxury vehicles. However, the new law would almost double the tax levied on these cars. This would not encourage people to buy smaller cars. Finally, the new law does not state where and how the additional tax income from vehicle taxes would be used. We don’t know if the funds will be used to improve benefits for lower-income people, or for other social causes.
______ is not the goal of the latest proposed reform of vehicle tax.