Laudable reform

The accumulative points system that Guangdong province is working on to help migrant workers get permanent residency status in its cities may go a long way in reforming the current rigid household registration system, or hukou.

Farmers-turned-workers in Guangdong who tally up 60 points under the system will be granted the permit, allowing them to stay on as urban citizens, as well as qualifying them to relocate their spouses and children to towns and cities.

They are to collect the points via education, skill upgrades, health insurance and charity contributions. About 1.8 million of them are expected to benefit by 2012.