OPINION> Commentary
Teach them a lesson
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-06 07:40

A recent survey by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine found no melamine in off-the-shelf samples of liquid milk in the market. Results of a sampling of powder milk are soon to be published.

In a nationwide check on milk and cattle feed suppliers, hundreds of firms have been closed down. Three found guilty of producing fodder with melamine additives are under criminal investigation.

As 14 provinces take measures to help out innocent cattle raisers, the Ministry of Agriculture vows to ensure "100-percent overseeing" of milk suppliers, and to make rules on melamine residue in cattle fodders.

To be fair, the authorities have worked hard since the now notorious Sanlu ignited the sweeping dairy scandal.

The reassuring messages they have managed to convey certainly help to ease the recent melamine scare that drove many to opt for a non-dairy diet.

But these are obviously far from enough to repair the whole damage. When there is a mess in sight, many of us anticipate an abrupt "storm" to clean it up. That is exactly where we are. The ongoing cleanup in the dairy industry seems thorough and forceful. And it works fine at this moment. Yet the credibility crisis will not be over until consumers see guarantees of long-term effects.

At the core is a host of problems troubling not only dairy enterprises but also animal feed producers, milk suppliers, and government departments. These problems range from poor standards, inadequate monitoring, and dereliction of duties by public officials to moral degeneration.

The repair work so far is by and large to the point. It looks good especially when it comes to disciplining violators and plugging holes in quality control.

But that should not be the only lessons we learn from the Sanlu scandal. From this and many other previous scandals, we see a need for the authorities to be harsher toward violators.

We see the authorities' endeavors for an all-win outcome in the aftermath of the scandal. We appreciate the way they handled the medical consequences - all those perceived to be potential victims have received immediate medical examinations and treatment free of charge. We also appreciate their efforts to help innocent dairy farmers.

Meanwhile, the government should come up with some stern measures to teach businesses the significance of being honest.

The government should refrain from lending excessive help to all dairy enterprises. This assistance may end up becoming a disservice. For potential violators, it may send out a misleading message - they can always count on a helping hand from the government even when things get really bad.

A more effective solution, therefore, is to make the cost of violations unbearable.

(China Daily 10/06/2008 page4)