BEIJING, May 11 -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng has stressed taxation reform and efforts to build an efficient and unified system to manage tax collection.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks after an inspection trip to the Beijing Municipal Office of State Administration of Taxation and Beijing Local Taxation Bureau on Thursday.

Han stressed that the reform of the national and local taxation systems is an important part of China's institutional reform, calling for firm and orderly progress in the implementation of the reform measures.

Chinese authorities have decided to reform the country's separate national and local taxation systems by integrating their offices at and below the provincial level, which Han said was urgently needed to improve the taxation system and government services.

The integration of national and local taxation offices will help reduce costs and increase efficiency of taxation work to provide better services to tax payers, the vice premier said.

Han said a practical and operable plan should be made to implement the reform to increase the sense of gain of tax payers.

He also encouraged tax officers to work conscientiously to ensure the country's taxation security and improve their service to create a better business environment.