A Reflection on the Issues of Government Public Services in China - 中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

A Reflection on the Issues of Government Public Services in China

Authors: Jia Lingmin, Lu Xuning

Published by Chinese Public Administration, 2006 No. 2, pp. 50-53

1) The situation of the government’s public services

1. Public services are still imbalanced in many aspects. (1) Imbalance exists in different regions on public services standards, especially between urban and rural areas; (2) The Government’s investment on economic construction and social undertakings is unbalanced; (3) The pursuit of GDP growth on the surface is at the expense of environmental protection.

2. New problems are created in the process of the transformation to the public service-oriented government. (1) Management and supervision are inefficient; (2) The cost of public services is not well calculated, which leads to the wasting of resources; (3) There is an absence of the government in the supply of some public services.

3. An imperfect system and mechanism of China’s public service. (1) The public service system is not perfect; (2) The response mechanisms of public services cannot meet the needs of the public.

2) The capability to supply public services

(A) The public services system should be improved; the government’s capacity to supply public services should be strengthened. 1. « Public Services Act » should be issued in order to improve the public services system. 2. The public finance system should be established and improved. (1) The structure of public expenditure should be adjusted and optimised; (2) The financial and administrative powers for the supply of public service between the central and local governments should be reasonably defined and adjusted; (3) A public revenue system should be established. 3. A Legal Entity system of public services should be developed; a multi-centre public services participation and supply mechanism should also be established in public service. 4. The investment and financing system should be deeply reformed. (1) The roles of the government in the scope and functions of investments should be identified; (2) The scope of social capital investments should be widened; (3) Channels for the financing project should be broadened.

(B) The public services operating mechanism should be strengthened; the government’s public service capacity should be enhanced. 1. A public service response mechanism should be well established. 2. A public service supply mechanism should be well established. 3. A public service monitoring mechanism should be well established. 4. A public service evaluation mechanism should be well established. (4) The government should promote a long-term, systematic and standard evaluation of public service performance. 5. A public service obligation (error correction) mechanism should be well established.

3) Contradictions of China’s current public services and their solutions (Wang Yukai, « Prominent Contradictions of Chinese Public Service and Government Responsibilities », China Economic Times, 30 November, 2006)

1. Present Contradictions: (1) A low input and a narrow coverage in public services; (2) Poor implementation of public services, such as existing basic health care and compulsory education; (3) Unfair government policy making in some aspects of public services.

2. Solutions: (1) The government should conduct a scientific assessment on the policy, scope, boundaries and government capacity of public services. A strategy should also be made to improve and develop China’s current public services; (2) The government should identify its responsibility in public services; (3) Institute the government as the leading role, involving social participation, thereby establishing a flexible public service system (4) The government should also accelerate the pace of its own reform.

4) The responsibility of the government in the supply of basic public services (Wang, Yukai: To Identify the Responsibility of Government in the Supply of Basic Public Services, Southern.com, 6 January 2010)

1. Gao Shangquan points out that the government as the executor must be responsible for basic public services, innovating the concept in government public services and to carry out its own reform in depth. A service-oriented government should be constructed in order to improve the system and mechanism under government policy in the equalisation of basic public services.

2. Chi Fulin believes that the key to the equalisation of basic public services is to enhance transformation of government, and to consolidate the leadership role and dominant position of different levels of government in basic public services. It is essential to promote administrative system reform and to accelerate the construction of a public service-oriented government;

3. Lian Qihua claims that the public welfare and equality of public services, especially basic public services, should be identified. The government must fully bear its responsibilities;

4. Wang Yukai states that the government should identify its responsibilities for basic public services. First, a policy of basic public services is required, a selection system and standards for basic public services must be established; second, financial security should be provided; third, a public services system should be constructed; fourth, the procedures related to the supply of basic public services should be simplified. These four elements are the roles that government should play in the supply of basic public services. The most important element is to establish a fair and just system of the basic public services policy.

5. Zhang, Libin views the promotion of equal urban and rural employment as a significant duty of the government. It is the responsibilities of the government to achieve full employment in society through a series of plans, policies and skills.

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