Public supervision is needed in the government's decision-making
procedures, says a signed article in Beijing Youth Daily.
An excerpt follows:
The Western-style office building of Yingquan District
government of Fuyang, Anhui Province, is called the "White House"
by the locals. This building has aroused much controversy as the
annual fiscal income of Yingquan District barely reaches 100
million yuan ($12.8 million), while the construction cost of the
"White House" has exceeded 30 million yuan ($3.85 million).
A school was torn down to make room for the grand office
building and now students have to study in a shabby compound. Many
farmers lost their land to make way for supporting facilities. The
farmers got only one-time compensation. The district government has
not turned them into urban residents, let alone provided the
minimum living subsidy guarantee.
Public money is used to build the "White House". But in Fuyang,
an underdeveloped city, there are many public needs that have not
yet been met. Education, public health and other public needs
should be the priorities of public investment. A luxurious office
building is surely not at the top of the list.
The "White House" is widely criticized, which shows the public
does not accept it. There had not been sufficient public
supervision in the process of planning and construction of the
office building. There are obvious defects in the procedures.
A serious problem is that there are many similar luxury office
buildings around the country. Luxurious image projects like office
buildings or squares have wasted enormous social wealth and harmed
the credibility of the government.
Public supervision should be emphasized to curb such unhealthy
phenomena. When the decisions are made in the sunshine, the hearts
of the public will be won.
(China Daily January 24, 2007)