Hot on the Web
Change the social structure
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-16 07:54
 |
Large Medium Small |
Change the social structure
The gap between rich and poor has reached an alarming level. To narrow this perilous gap and maintain social harmony, the government must help low-income families climb up the social ladder, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpt:
China's Gini-coefficient has reached 0.46. The richest 10 percent of the urban families hold 45 percent of the wealth in urban areas, and the poorest 10 percent, only 1.4 percent. The gap would be wider if rural families were included in the calculation.
China's social structure now resembles an inverted "T" or thumbtack, with the smaller but rich group at the top and the middle, and the huge majority at the bottom. This is far from a stable structure. To change the shape of the structure, the government has to raise the income of the poor, increase workers' minimum wage and ensure that they get a larger share in income distribution. To correct the income disparity, the government should use tools like tax and social welfare, exempt the low-income groups from paying income tax and grant more social benefits to the poor. It should create opportunities for the poor to climb up the social ladder.
