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Minsheng , or people's wellbeing, has become the catchword during sessions of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, which wound up respectively on March 14 and March 13. No matter whether minsheng arose in group discussions, or in motions and proposals, deputies and members expressed concerns, putting forward ideas for solutions to problems involving people's wellbeing--such as skyrocketing house prices, educational reform, employment and low-carbon economy--to make sure the people's voices were heard.
Selected summaries of their opinions follow:
Stabilizing the Housing Market
Guo Guoqing: deputy to the 11th NPC and Director of the China Marketing Research Center at Renmin University of China
The country is now faced with the urgent task of curbing surges in house prices in major cities that is choking consumption and widening the rich-poor gap. To achieve this, it will be necessary to clamp down on speculators hoarding empty houses and property developers sitting on unused land.
Local governments, in particular, should attempt to calm soaring land prices and reduce their reliance on land sales as a source of revenues. The Central Government is supposed to step up supplies of affordable houses to improve the livelihood of low-income groups. In addition, it is also necessary to streamline the rental market and repair many dilapidated houses in rural areas. A stable and consistent policy for the sector would also help avoid cyclical volatility and ensure the health of the market.
Meanwhile, regulators must keep a close eye on mortgage lending and put in place powerful measures to fend off property-related financial risks. The real estate industry has become a pillar force of the national economy, so its healthy development deserves the utmost attention from policymakers.
Employment is Key
Li Xinghao: deputy to the 11th NPC and General Manager of Guangdong Chigo Air-Conditioning Co. Ltd.
In the work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao, the government vowed to create at least 9 million urban jobs this year, a daunting challenge at a time of global downturn.
I believe a viable option is to alleviate taxes and other financial burdens on enterprises so they can tide over tough times and avoid layoffs. Many hard-hit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still struggling, and their recovery would help put a solid floor under the buckling job market.
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