Monopoly on funeral services needs to break

A RECENT REPORT by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the 101 Institute of Ministry of Civil Affairs shows that the average cost of a funeral in Beijing has reached 42,837 yuan ($6,892.5), and many residents jokingly complain that they "cannot afford to die". Comments:

The abnormally high prices for funerals have much to do with the government monopoly of the industry. The companies that provide funeral services are both State agencies and profit-seekers in the market, which leaves hardly any bargaining space for ordinary residents. The monopoly must be broken first in order to make funerals more affordable for ordinary people.

Xinhua Daily Telegraph, March 27