Suggestions from CPPCC Members

Zhu Wenju: Solve the Financial Problems of Medium- and Small-sized Enterprises

The further development of medium- and small-sized enterprises, and private companies needs financial support. Financial problems have been a recurring feature of these enterprises in recent years, and have restricted social development. There are, however, two solutions to this problem.

Firstly, the public should be aware of the important role of medium- and small-sized enterprises within China's economic and social development. In line with to suit the individual characteristics of medium- and small sized enterprises, the government should formulate administration and service systems different from those for large state-owned enterprises, and a specialized government department should be set up to take charge of this work.

Secondly, the financial difficulties of these medium- and small-sized enterprises could be resolved through the establishment of a social credit system. The modern market economy is one based on stable credit relations. A mature market economy should therefore have a corresponding social credit system. I suggest that the government should set up an overall social credit system for medium- and small-sized enterprises.

Zhang Shiyao: Rectify and Standardize the Market Order

In recent years, the Chinese market has been in a state of disorder and is in need of rectification and standardization. At the beginning of the new century, a perfect socialist market economy should be established as a solid foundation for the Tenth Five-Year Plan. If the market order is to be streamlined and China's international standing enhanced, certain phenomena must undergo urgent rectification. They include the manufacture of shoddy products, smuggling, tax evasion, tax fraud, and fraudulently obtaining foreign currency. There are also practices such as adversely affecting the normal market order through industrial monopolization, sectoral separation, regional blockading, destruction of social credit and financial order, refusing to pay debts, and false advertising.

The following measures have been suggested to rectify the market order.

First, instill socialist ethic.

Second, strengthen rule of law while instilling socialist ethic.

Third, resume socialized business credit and rectify the financial order.

Fourth, starting with food and medical products, ban the manufacture of shoddy products.

Fifth, comprehensively enhance commodity circulation.

Sixth, establish a standardized open competitive market system.

Seventh, change the function of the government, letting the roles of the chamber of commerce, trades associations and the intermediary organizations come into full play.

Eighth, Raise the level of supervision over market order while continue to develop market development and upgrade market administration.

Li Guangyi: Conserve Natural Grassland, Contain Desertification

The more than a dozen sandstorms that have occurred in recent years have aroused increasing social concern due to their adverse affect on economic and social activities, as well as on the lives of the people. Fighting of desertification is now a vital social task. How can this destructive process be halted?

First, adopt the correct approach. For a long time, the focus has been on desertification control rather than its prevention. Desertification is a rapid process, compared to its control, which requires sustained effort over a long period of time. The amount of control required in the face of such widespread desertification is unworkable. In future, therefore, efforts to contain the process of desertification should be concentrated on its prevention, rather than its control.

Most of the sandstorms in northern China are the result of desertification of natural grassland, and the movement patterns of sand and wind. The main reason for grassland desertification is overgrazing. According to research, most Chinese grasslands are overgrazed, at a rate ranging from 50 to 120 percent in some areas, even as high as 300 percent in others. Therefore, conserving natural grassland and limiting grazing is an effective way of containing land desertification in northern China.

Natural grassland conservation must expedited systematically. The key problem is that of resolving the two issues of cultivating grass in order for the land to resume ecological balance, while at the same time maintaining rapid and efficient development of animal husbandry.

I suggest that the state include natural grassland conservation within its natural forest conservation project, or that a natural grassland conservation project, whereby farmland is reverted to grassland, including the construction of a forage base, be carried out. This is aimed at realizing a benign grassland ecological cycle and increasing the quality and working efficiency of animal husbandry on grassland.

Xu Rujing: Developing Informatization to Stimulate Western Development
Communicating through informatization costs much less than it does by means of transportation, particularly in the sparsely populated areas. So it is of vital practical importance to western development. It has the capacity to broaden the outlook of the local populace, change outmoded concepts, and allow inhabitants of this remote area to share scientific and technological, educational and other resources of the more developed regions of China, and of the world. Economic development would be stimulated as a result of increased dissemination of information. Informatization is therefore a convenient and effective channel for western development.

Gao Shangquan: Reform the System of Examination and Approval

The layer upon layer of the system of examination and approval increases the "administrative expenses" of Chinese enterprises, restricts the effective distribution of resources, and inhibits creativity within economic entities. Moreover, government monopolization of power resources is the root of corruption.

The system emanates from China's former planned economy and sustains commonly held, but outmoded, legal concepts. The fundamental principle of a market economy is that anything the law does not prohibits is permitted. However, the ideology and working methodology of many Chinese individuals and enterprises still works on the basis of getting permission, obtaining approval from the government. The prevailing attitude is that failure to fulfill this procedure may result in being accused of illegal activities.

In economic and social activities, individuals and enterprises should be encouraged to innovate. The government should discard old ideas and procedures to provide better conditions for the innovation of individuals and enterprises.