Get Tough With Repeat Fraudsters

In his annual report to China's top legislature in late June, Li Jinhua, Auditor General of the National Audit Office, revealed that in 2006, misappropriated government funds cost taxpayers almost 7 billion yuan ($919 million), while more than 37 billion yuan (4.86 billion) was mismanaged. Of this, 56 central government departments misused 1.52 billion yuan ($200 million), while 434 agencies under their jurisdiction misappropriated 5.35 billion yuan ($704 million).

Compared with previous audit reports, the latest one proves to be much more specific and critical and, as is seen, many ministries are blamed by name. Noticeably, since the audit report was first made in 1999, several departments have been blacklisted again and again.

For those departments that have been repeatedly found misappropriating public funds, should there now be harsher punishment? If the punishment is nothing but to be criticized by name, the cost of violating laws and regulations is inadequate.

It is good news that in cases of embezzlement of budgetary funds reported by the National Audit Office last June, 177 people have been given administrative sanctions and 94 arrested, prosecuted or sentenced. For the smooth audit of government budgets, close cooperation between auditors and judicial organs and discipline watchdogs is urgently needed.

Shanghai Morning Post

Money First

On June 27, the 31st Session of the World Heritage Committee expressed its serious concerns over the conservation of six Chinese mainland sites on its World Heritage List, including the Palace Museum, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace in Beijing and Lijiang ancient city in Yunnan Province, all of which are being overexploited as tourist attractions.

The exploitation is not isolated. Most local governments that are working hard to apply for World Heritage recognition of local sites, regard the bid as a means to promote economic growth, rather than a boost to protect their precious cultural and natural resources.

When the application is no longer conducted for effective protection of our heritage, and when the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage can impose no restriction on the damage to listed sites, what is the significance of the World Heritage status?

If the final goal is conservation, it does not matter whether a cultural and/or natural site is on the World Heritage List or not. But obviously, nowadays, the economic significance attached to the World Heritage status has become the most attractive part.

China Youth Daily

Crimes Shielded by Power

On June 29, fully armed gangs of thugs attacked and brutally dealt with a group of about 300 migrant workers, who had protested over unpaid wages in Heyuan City, Guangdong Province. The incident resulted in one migrant worker killed, two missing and six severely injured. The workers had been on a project for more than four months, with their salaries amounting to more than 5 million yuan in total.

It's almost an open secret that without a powerful backer, organized violent groups would never act so rampantly. Due to the strong support from those backers, these groups even challenge the police. It's easy to deduce that behind almost every organized group of thugs, there are corrupt government officials.

Heads of Fuyuan Energy Co., who plotted this attack, were certainly aware of the consequences of their brutal behavior, but they were also confident in the knowledge that their handlers, to whom they had paid out a lot of money, would exempt them from legal penalties.

It is of the utmost urgency for local law enforcement departments to trace the people backing these armed thugs and to bring these criminals to justice. Otherwise who can guarantee that this tragedy will not be repeated?

Dahe Daily

Market Not a Panacea

Given rocketing housing prices in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, the local government has begun adopting curbing measures. It has not only mandated a benchmark price and profit margin, but also a ceiling of 5 percent on any increase.

However, some real estate developers have blamed the government for trying to "turn back the clock."

Nanjing is not the first to adopt these measures. Similar control measures can be found worldwide, against a backdrop of soaring housing prices and property bubbles. In the United States, during the 1930s, the government even provided housing according to people's income.

At a time when housing prices are far out of the reach of common people, it's absolutely necessary for the government to exercise control through administrative means, which will show the market the way.

When the market is not functioning well, the government should do something to make people's lives easier. This is rational interference in the market, not "turning back the clock."

Guangzhou Daily