The government should improve the management of cities and create comfortable and clean living conditions for citizens. It is an important sign of cities' level of civilization. But many cities focus on constructing new buildings and ignore management.

City management is an important function of governments at all levels. The outsourcing of chengguan, which has caused hot debate recently, doesn't mean outsourcing the whole management system. It just means that the government farms out part of the work to some companies.

Outsourcing of such services has been successfully tried in many cities. For instance, some staff members of the government who were responsible for clearing ice and snow in northeastern cities used their salary to hire cheap labor to do the work for them. Then the local authorities directly outsourced this work to companies with lower costs. This action saved money and had good effects.

Even the outsourcing of law enforcement power is feasible. According to law, administrative punishments are administered by appointed government bodies. But the law also stipulates that these government organs can entrust organizations with handing out administrative punishments.

Many affairs which the government finds difficult to manage can be deferred to social groups and non-government organizations. For instance, many trade associations have played important roles in the market economy.

In fact, a similar outsourcing of law enforcement power has been successfully practiced in some developed countries. This may become a tendency in Chinese cities too.

At present, our government should search for a new model in which we gain greater achievements by fewer control measures.

As a pioneer city in the practice of reform and opening-up, the Shenzhen municipal government's creative methods are praiseworthy. We cannot deny the reform because of some problems. Seeking truth from facts is the decisive factor.

Whether the outsourcing of the city management deserves to be continued depends on a long period of practice.



The author is former deputy director of Harbin Municipal Commission of Urban-Rural Development and secretary-general of Harbin Charity. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn