China will streamline and modernize its complaint process to better serve the public next month.

People can go to the square beside the Shenzhen Museum on Friday to attend a promotion and consultation organized by the city's complaint office on a new national regulation, which goes into force May 1. The six districts will also hold similar activities.

The government uses the complaint and petition process to collect opinions and advice from ordinary citizens to get a clearer picture of their work and find out how to improve public administration.

The revised regulation opens the door wider for complaints and petitions. It has a chapter on how to ensure a smooth channel for complaints and petitions.

The regulation will force different government departments to publicize their contact information. Department heads should also set up a "reception day" system under which they should interview petitioners on a certain date known to the public. They should also meet petitioners who put forward outstanding cases for a face-to-face dialogue.

The new regulation said government officials failing to effectively respond to petitions could face severe legal penalties.

The complaint network has also been modernized to accept telephoned, e-mailed and faxed petitions.

Shenzhen's number of complaints and petitions over state-owned enterprise reform, social security, government official corruption and unprivileged group are on the rise and should be answered by the new process.

"The petitions reflect some problems we fail to notice, and they also show the social progress, as more people are aware of protecting their just rights and contributing to a more democratic society," said Mao Bing, head of the city's complaint office.

(Shenzhen Daily April 15, 2005)