Editorials

Help in need

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-09 08:11

An important part of the activities for Chinese lunar new year, which began on Feb 3 and end on Feb 17, is the red envelopes containing cash that are handed out to bowing children.

The government has followed this custom in aiding 86 million people living in poverty. The Ministry of Finance delivered 10.4 billion yuan ($1.59 billion) as living allowances to China's needy in time for the country's most important holiday. Those Tibetans who are on the aid list will get their money before their New Year that starts on March 5.

Some local authorities in such areas as Tianjin, Chongqing, Yunnan and Tibet also drew on their coffers to give those in straitened circumstances red envelops.

It was a hands-on job to deliver the red envelops to 86 million people in around 10 days before Spring Festival. For some recipients these envelopes contained life-saving money. So the civil affairs departments had a great responsibility on their shoulders, as they had the duty to ensure that the money went to the right hands.

In previous years there has been embezzlement of the funds intended for poverty-stricken people. So people were concerned about whether all the people in straitened circumstances would feel the support of the authorities.

It is good to know that such malpractice did not happen this year.

All the television and radio programs, newspapers and websites in the nation published the news when the State Council decided to give those who are badly off the gift money for Spring Festival. By making the decision known to the public, the government made it well nigh impossible for managers to fiddle with the relief funds.

The money in the red envelopes varied from person to person - 150 yuan ($23) for the urban poor, 100 yuan ($15) for the rural poor and 180 yuan ($27) for each disabled serviceman and family member of revolutionary martyrs and servicemen.

All this information helped ensure that the relief money went to the right people.

The fact that the civil affairs departments was able to distribute the living allowances in time this year shows that governments at all levels can improve their public policies.

But with prices continuing to rise, the government needs to adjust the country's employment insurance and subsistence allowances. It's a matter of people's livelihoods.

(China Daily 02/09/2011 page8)