More charities needed

Greater efforts should be introduced to enrich charity mechanisms and projects to improve their overall results.

The priority is to enhance the development and implementation of philanthropic projects involving disaster relief, medical care support, and assistance for orphans and the disabled. Coverage should also expand to cultural, artistic and environmental protection projects. Second, it is vital to establish a comprehensive donation system with improvement in the coordination and organization of support and relief efforts.

Reform among charitable institutions at local levels should be guided, and these institutions should be encouraged to develop a greater awareness of branding.

Charitable organizations from civil society should play a larger - even a major - role in the development of the charity industry.

The social security law should give more space for charity. And at the same time, a philanthropy law should be drafted and issued in the near future, further clarifying the legal status, rights, duties, operational procedures and supervising mechanisms of the sector.

Proposed by: Yang Chao

CPPCC member and President of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Putting more disabled drivers behind the wheel

More disabled people should become able to drive cars and apply for drivers' licenses through the further relaxation of requirements on their qualifications and the development of supportive facilities.

Many disabled people are capable of driving vehicles, and those who are should enjoy the right to get drivers' licenses.

A survey of 1,000 Chinese with disabled limbs aged between 20 and 50 found that about 90 percent intend to buy cars.

This month, regulations were issued on the standards of supporting facilities for people with eight kinds of disabilities.

People with disabled right lower limbs and those with hearing disabilities should be able to drive before the Olympic and Paralympics.

Proposed by: Bo Shaoye

CPPCC member and director of the rights protection department of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

(China Daily March 18, 2008)