Beijingers get a say in next 5-year plan By Li Jing (China Daily) Updated: 2005-07-22 05:35
Ordinary Beijingers will have a say in the drafting of the next five-year
plan for the first time.
Drafting five-year plans is normally a closed-door process, but this one, the
11th in the city's history, will be opened to residents for suggestions and
opinions on some key issues.
The Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, which is in charge
of the plan drafting, said yesterday that residents' ideas would go into making
up the fundamental blueprint that will guide the city's social and economic
development up to 2010.
Four of Beijing's chronic maladies - the population burden, energy shortages,
traffic jams and unemployment - have been selected as major topics to go under
public discussion, said Liang Yi, chief of the development planning division
under the commission.
Anyone living or working in Beijing, whether local-born or migrant, will be
able to air their opinions through the Internet, text messages or letters, Liang
said.
The public discussion, which opened yesterday and will run until September,
also includes brainstorming meetings on each of the four topics.
"The first brainstormer, focusing on how to deal with the city's rapid
population expansion, is scheduled for August 6," Liang said. "We plan to select
around 40 representatives from people who took part in the discussion and put
forward constructive suggestions. The deputies can exchange views at the meeting
and may find better solutions to the problem."
Beijing has a population of 15 million, and this is growing at about 2 per
cent a year. Such a rapid population expansion has led to a series of problems
such as traffic jams and energy scarcity.
"Policy-makers need to hear the voices of the ordinary people on how they
think about the chronic maladies of Beijing," Liang said. "Public participation
will increase transparency in the process of drafting, and will reduce the risk
of making errors, especially on important issues relating to the direction of
the city's development."
The other three meetings will be held every other Saturday after the first
one, Liang said.
"Apart from the four listed topics, people who have anything to say on other
issues are also encouraged," Liang added.
Beijing businessman Liu Zhihong said: "It is encouraging news that ordinary
people may provide input into such an important blueprint. No matter how many
people's suggestions can be written into the final draft, it's a good start."
In fact, soliciting public opinion is just one part of the city's opening-up
effort in its five-year plan draft. Last year the city invited bidders worldwide
for the first time to carry out research projects on 60 major topics in the
plan.
More than 600 researchers from 57 academies and institutions have taken part
in the projects, which have laid a solid basis for the draft, Liang said.
He said the outline of the plan, which includes 52 sub-plans, has already
been finished. The draft is expected to be worked out in full by the end of this
year.
(China Daily 07/22/2005 page3)
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