img

Gaining the Trust of People, Winning the Support of People and Cohering the Strength of People

— The main means to reinforce public participation in developing urban construction

 

Mr. Zhang Zulin

Mayor of Kunming

 

In order to achieve the grand blueprint of a new and modern Kunming and lead people of all races to create a bright future for Kunming, the Municipal Government won the endless source of strength for the sustainable development of Kunming with four measures, namely, gaining the trust of people, winning the support of people and cohering the strength of people.

 

People are the source of momentum for the sustainable development of urban economy and society. Former Chairman Mr. Hu Jintao said that development relied on the people and they shared the achievement of development. The weather in Kunming is always like that of early spring, and the flowers bloom all year round, so it is well known as “City of Spring”. As a multi-ethnical capital city in the southwest frontiers of China, people of all races in this city have been firmly united, living harmoniously and together making significant contributions to the stability and prosperity of the frontiers of our motherland.

 

Kunming is at the critical moment when industrialization is accelerating, urbanization is uprising, marketization is transforming and internationalization is expanding. Therefore, the Provincial Government proposed a great strategy of building up a new and modern Kunming. In order to achieve the grand blueprint of a new and modern Kunming and lead people of all races to create a bright future for Kunming, the Municipal Government won the endless source of strength for the sustainable development of Kunming with four measures, namely, gaining the trust of people, winning the support of people and cohering the strength of people.

 

Firstly, pay great attention to the way that governmental officials work.

Honesty and uprightness can help build up the prestige of government and gain the public trust. In these recent years, Kunming develops a series of regulars to improve the government’s work style and services. For some mass issues that are considered to be urgent situations, we take charge of them on the firsthand and provide effective and efficient services. We aim to build up an incorruptible government by forming a strict and accountable system.

 

Secondly, enhance the public services.

Serving the community and speaking for the people are the destinations of our government and the only means to win the trust of our people. Kunming is using two service concepts to enhance the quality of government services. On one hand, we work on reducing the relative procedures of examination, approval and service processing days to provide effective services for our citizens. Our city becomes one of the most efficient governments of capital cities that charge the lowest service fee and takes the shortest processing days in the public services. On the other hand, we emphasize the concept of service which is to be the caretakers of our citizens, helping our people solve the most basic and direct concerns. We focus on completing education system and providing free primary education, establishing standard primary and middle schools, encouraging social participation in school construction, and expanding the education resources. Besides, the medical care system is also being improved. We are expediting the construction of the medical care services. Our city and county medical care system consists of 300 service institutions and 120 suburban medical clinics. The medical care system is prompt to be reformed, including reforming public hospital regulations, encouraging private hospital developments, and operating a pharmacy trusteeship experiment to bring down pharmacy price. Also, the Kunming government implements skill training programs to help those disable, unemployed, graduates and the people who received lower education solve the unemployment issue. Recently, there created more 400 thousand job positions. Over 300 thousand people got employed and over 300 thousand people got jobs outside of Kunming. In 2009, there were about 90% of Kunming city and county residents had medical insurance. Housing buildings were under construction with the guide of government and residents were covered by the lowest living guarantee.

 

Thirdly, open up a wide access for public participation

A wide access is the key means for the public to participating in urban development. Kunming has three methods to open up this access. The first one is attracting investments and talented people to Kunming. In 2009, Kunming brought in a 70.6 billion yuan domestic investment and a 728 million US dollars foreign capital, and accomplished governmental financing up to 96.2 billion yuan, which ensured a sufficient financial and industrial support to the sustainable development of Kuming. Meanwhile, Kunming established a strategic consulting centre for scientific development and employed a large number of experts to work for it. The second method is supporting the development of social organizations by “government purchase service”. Currently there are more than 5,000 social organizations in Kunming, including all kinds of associations, institutions, social security organizations and environment protection institutions etc. This social organization system that covers almost every field has formed its initial shape and been playing an important role in the services of education, medical care, culture, social security and environment. The third method is providing a public request channel. Kunming has opened a mayor Hotline “12345”, a mayor mailbox and a government Information enquiry hotline “96128”, to listen to the voices of our citizens, learn the concerns of our people, improve our governmental transparency and encourage the public participation.

 

Fourthly, maintaining the social stability.

Maintaining a stable society is the most important thing that a government needs to do. City development can not be well operated without a healthy and secure society. Kunming continues holding the concept that prevention is better than control to set up a “Secure Kunming”. We keep improving our social security system through establishing a “110” Security Command Center, an Information Alarm System and an Electronic Surveillance System. We also regulate the management department of public medical institutions and set up efficient mediation systems to resolve medical disputes. Social conflicts and disputes are resolved by the responsibility system which consists of five divisions. Besides, Kunming government aims to build a safe society through cracking down criminal activities such as stealing, robbery, and drug crimes. Through a series of strict and completed regulations, the security, harmony and stability of Kunming can be ensured.