I am chief of a residents’ committee in Xinhe Town of Zhejiang Province’s Wenling City. I was elected as a deputy to the local People’s Congress in 1995.

In the past, at the annual gatherings of the township legislature deputies usually just sat and listened to cadres reading the government work report. They never had the chance to raise opinions or suggestions. Since 2000 democratic consultation meetings have been launched in the town. They are occasions where officials, People’s Congress deputies and citizens sit together to work on local issues. Citizens ask questions and make requests, and the cadres either solve the problems immediately or outline intermediary measures and timetables for tangible solutions.

Each democratic discussion attracts a lot of citizens, who communicate with cadres on a variety of big and small issues such as the investment environment, urban planning, the prices of natural gas, and even personal disputes between villagers. After the meeting, the appropriate government departments will follow up the issue to look for solutions. Normally small matters, such as water supply in newly built neighborhoods, can be solved in a fortnight or so. Whatever the problem, the democratic discussions offer a platform for citizens to voice their concerns, needs and suggestions.

 

People are eager to take part in democratic discussions.

In 2005 the local People’s Congress opened its annual government budget review session to democratic consultation, calling this amalgamation a “participatory budgeting process.”

Prior to the convening of the People’s Congress, its finance and economics committee organizes democratic discussions to look at the budget draft. Not only the deputies, but also ordinary citizens can take part in the discussions. We hash out the budget plan and write a report on our preliminary review of its content. Later at the People’s Congress, deputies are divided into groups that focus on different areas such as agriculture, industry, economy and social projects. We discuss and debate various areas of the proposed budget and raise suggestions on increasing or cutting expenditures in light of the preliminary review report. After that the township People’s Congress and the government hold a joint meeting to reach a budget amendment plan based on the suggestions generated during the congress session.

The year 2005 marked the launch of this participatory budget drafting process. To be honest, at the time I very much doubted that our proposals would be taken seriously by the government. As discussions commenced, we were all reluctant to raise our opinions, but the chair kept encouraging us to say something. Most deputies made only minor suggestions, such as installing more streetlights. But to our delight, when we saw the final budget plan, the government had actually taken our suggestions into account. I for one was won over; since that time I’ve had faith in such a participatory approach.

The budget of 2005 was broadly divided into expenditures in three large areas: agriculture, industry and civil affairs. We couldn’t tell if those expenditures were appropriate because the budget outline we received was too vague. The elected deputies subsequently suggested that the government provide us with a more detailed budget. In 2006 we found the budget draft listed 19 categories of expenditures, with information spelled out on every item, including public management, social security and government receptions, vehicles and overseas trips. Furthermore, details on these expenditures were provided for the previous year.

In 2006, I made a suggestion that government increase spending on revamping the roads in our town’s old district. Its stone slab paths were built in the 1970s. Most roads were crumbling and turned to mud during rain, causing great difficulties for local residents, especially seniors and children. Reports of children falling down and injuring themselves on their way to school were common. Residents personally expressed their hope that I would ask the government to renovate the roads.

According to local regulations and procedure, a petition for a budget revision from any group of five or more deputies must be considered. The group is able to propose to increase, cut or eliminate the spending on any specific project. After some formalities a written budget amendment proposal can be submitted to the People’s Congress for a vote. If the deputies vote in favor of the proposal, the government must implement the amendment.

Unfortunately my proposal on road renovation that year was not properly formulated and was thus declared invalid.

In 2007, the government organized a training program for us. We learned about budget formulation, the procedures and regulations for participatory budget drafting and – crucially for me – how to write proposals in the proper manner. That year I again proposed to revamp the roads in old urban neighborhoods. Probably because deputies made too many proposals that year, my proposal was unable to be put up for a vote at the People’s Congress session. However, the government still adopted my suggestions and rebuilt two major roads.

I was satisfied with the government’s action, but still believed more efforts could be made with regards to the old urban roads. In 2008, with support from 10 other deputies, I called for an additional RMB 1 million to revamp all the roads in the town’s old urban areas. Much to my regret, the proposal was not passed during the vote. I wept over the result because I believed my proposal stood for the interests of all residents in the old district.

I didn’t give up. From there on, I put forward my proposal at every democratic discussion. When I discovered that Wenling City’s government work report promised to allocate about 10 percent of its revenues to projects concerning people’s wellbeing, I argued that access to decent roads is one key to a higher standard of living.

In the second half of 2008, the situation took a favorable turn. The government funded a project to revamp old roads through temporary budget amendments. In 2009, I was delighted to see that the government’s budget bill included my roads initiative. Now about 90 percent of the roads in the old district of the town have been rebuilt, and I’m always proud when our residents smile and express their thanks to me in the streets.

I believe democratic discussions make it easier for citizens to communicate with government officials. Every year the township government faces intense pressure to keep budgets balanced while ensuring the sensible and responsible allocation of limited resources on a number of programs and services. Now the representatives of the masses like myself can communicate directly and openly with local officials to contribute to budget formulation. The government is able to better understand the needs of the people and draft budgets in line with these needs.

As far as I know, from 2010 such participatory budget formulation efforts have been implemented in 11 towns and five sub-districts in Wenling City. The scheme has also been adopted in some administrations of the municipal government, such as the transportation, water projects, construction and planning, and education administrations. Wenling is well on the way to promoting public budget reform through democratic discussions. Such discussions improve transparency by bringing the budget-making process out from behind closed doors.

Today Xinhe Town’s government expenditures are more open and transparent. Over roughly half a year after budgets are implemented, the government organizes further democratic discussions to brief People’s Congress deputies and citizens’ representatives on the running expenditures of different projects. Every quarter the township government also reports on the implementation of the budget to the People’s Congress for its supervision. Xinhe’s residents are now eager to join in the democratic discussions and participate in lively and important debates. It’s the people themselves who are now sharing the responsibility for improving the lives of their fellow men.