Pingnan: Rectifying problems that had had strong complaints from the people

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2014-05-17

“The new dustbins on Xianfu Road are very beautiful. Every day when I pass them I can’t help looking at them. Such eye candy!” said Zhou Zhenjing from Pingnan’s county government.

“The old dustbins were really ugly and stank. Every time I went by I would quicken up my pace.” During the second mass line campaign, residents in Pingnan had raised strong complaints about the dustbins. “We felt so embarrassed,” said Wei Xiaotiao, director of the county Bureau of Housing and Construction.

In March this year, the housing authority, industrial and commercial authority and the environment sanitation organization cooperated with an enterprise to address the problem. The enterprise replaced the worn-out dustbins with environmentally friendly new ones for free; in return, it was given the right to advertise on these bins for six years.

 Today, 300 beautiful bins decorate the county, which is beneficial to eco-tourism. In order to listen to people’s genuine opinions in a sincere manner, government should keep in touch with the people and focus on rectifying problems which receive the strongest complaints.

Pingnan government solicits people’s opinions by using questionnaires and the county chief’s mailbox, as well as holding appraisal meetings and seminars. It also listens to people’s opinions face to face by requiring government officials to provide one-on-one support to the disabled and one-child families and to pay visits to households in the village.

Edited by Wang Yifei and Brian Anthony Salter