For instance, the taxation bureaus are still unable to levy differentiated taxes for people with or without children or other dependents. One official even claimed recently that it was very difficult for them to do so.

But I believe the difficulty really lies with the poor coordination and cooperation among related government departments as well as State financial institutions as their turfs seem to override the interests of the public.

Meanwhile, the importance of protecting the privacy of individuals has not gained due attention, either from the legislature or the government. Bills proposing to create a law on the protection of citizens' private information were first put forward two years ago, but so far the public has heard little about how they have fared beyond the deliberation stage.

It is encouraging that more NPC deputies are joining together in pushing for such legislation during the ongoing NPC session.

In his proposal, Li listed eight motions for consideration. Of those, I believe the most important one is to speed up the process to place an individual's private information under legal protection.

The law should also force businesses to guard an individual's private information and not divulge or spread it to outsiders. Legal action should be instituted if they do so.

Meanwhile, related government agencies should loosen the grip on their turfs, compare notes and establish a mechanism to make better use of this swelling information. It is their responsibility to serve the good of the people, and not shirk away from it.

(China Daily March 13, 2008)