Water price hikes can be more transparent

Beijing made progress in transparency when it held a special hearing on water price on Wednesday, but there was still room for improvement.

The water price is mainly determined on the basis of costs of water resources, tap water production, sewage treatment as well as profits and tax. However, before each special hearing on price rises, departments concerned never announce a detailed list of costs. Therefore, many people feel the prices are a mystery. The hearing on the water price didn't make any breakthrough in this area too.

It's understandable that the cost of water in Beijing should be higher than the average Chinese city. But the prices cannot be raised at will. People may wonder how the rise of 0.48 yuan per cubic meter was calculated. The public should be informed about the price structure.