Top legislature listening to lawmakers

Increased communication is solving constituents' problems in more detail

China's top legislature has pledged to increase communication with lawmakers, with optimized measures for them to perform their duties so that their suggestions can be effectively implemented and turned into methods to promote social governance.

The pledge was made by a commission with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at a seminar in Zhengding, Hebei province, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While introducing the handling of suggestions submitted by lawmakers to this year's annual NPC session, the commission invited a number of NPC deputies, NPC special committees and government agencies for tackling the proposals to further exchange opinions, in order to ensure problems mentioned in the advice can be truly solved.

Submitting motions and suggestions are some of the primary duties of the deputies, who are required to put forward advice they receive about the country's governance and development in all fields during or after the annual NPC session.

The NPC Standing Committee collects and reviews suggestions, and then transfers them to relevant NPC committees and government departments to deal with.

Data released at the seminar showed that NPC deputies raised 8,314 suggestions this year, mainly focusing on facilitating people's livelihood and accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern and the promotion of high-quality growth.

After analysis, the suggestions were handed over to 204 departments for further handling, the commission said, adding that the handling has been completed and replies on the proposals have been sent to NPC deputies.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, for example, handled 981 suggestions, including those on grain supply, agricultural science and technology, rural vitalization and village reforms.

To improve the quality of the handling, the ministry organized subordinates to visit more than 20 provinces to learn about difficulties in agricultural industries and conduct surveys.

It also increased calls and face-to-face talks with NPC deputies, so as to figure out what they were concerned about in detail and find the right solutions to their problems.

On July 4, Wei Qiao, an NPC deputy from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, observed a group of departments led by the ministry carrying out research on farms in her hometown. They were dealing with her suggestions for improving rural talent and developing agricultural technology.

As a deputy with seven years of work experience in agriculture, she welcomed the joint research, adding that it helps solve problems more effectively and means her voice had been heard by the authorities.

The commission said that it will continue taking the whole-process people's democracy approach to serve deputies in duty performance, encouraging them to make more high-quality suggestions and providing easier channels for them and departments to exchange opinions.

In February last year, the NPC Standing Committee launched an online platform for deputies to contact and communicate with departments for handling proposals.