Local People's Congress to Enjoy More PowerNo drafts can be made of major policies of local governments in south China's Guangdong Province without prior approval from the local people's congresses, according to a regulation adopted in Guangzhou Friday.According to the new regulation approved by the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, all the major programs of each city or county in the province should be submitted to the local people's congress for acceptance before they can be launched. They include programs on strengthening democracy and building the legal system, education, science, culture, health and sports, importance measures covering population, the environment and resources, and amendments to local economic and social development plans. The Guangdong People's Congress also stipulated 17 items that require local governments to report to the local people's congresses at various levels for making of new policies. They include the use and administration of education funds, administration of old-aged pension, and public funding for housing construction. Adjustments of prices for water, electricity, cooking gas, medical treatment, and public transportation must also be reported to the local congress for approval. It took Guangdong Province five years to adopt the new regulation; the draft regulation was submitted to the Standing Committee of Guangdong People's Congress three times before it was finally accepted. |
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