Community clinics

XIAO YOUMEI, a deputy to the Fourth Municipal People抯 Congress, hoped the government would increase investment, strengthen training and offer incentives to solve the shortage of professional medical workers and improve services at clinics.

The shortage of medical workers has become a serious problem as the number of community clinics had reached 600 by the end of last year. Doctors and nurses dislike working at clinics because of low salaries, Xiao said in her proposal. As one of 10 government priorities for residents in 2007, the construction of community clinics helped make it easier for residents to seek medical care.

Solar heating

EIGHT deputies attending the annual session of the municipal people抯 congress hoped the government would implement a rule demanding property developers install solar-heating facilities to save energy and reduce living costs. The government could provide tax incentives to encourage developers to install solar heaters, they said.

Sports facilities

DEPUTY Yang Jianchang hoped education authorities, following the government rule, would take strict measures to demand schools open sports facilities to the public at weekends and during public holidays.

Only 30 schools opened their facilities after the government implemented a rule six years ago. Some schools refused to follow the rule for various reasons and charged management fees to those who wanted to use the facilities, but didn抰 hand the money over to the treasury.

LNG prices

DEPUTY Yang Jianchang called for the government to review the charges for liquefied natural gas (LNG) which were much higher than those in Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing and Shanghai, the prices remained at two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic meter while the price in Chongqing was 1.1 yuan per cubic meter, Yang said in his proposal. The average LNG price in Shenzhen is 3.5 yuan per cubic meter.

The cost of LNG was 1.6 yuan per cubic meter and the charge should be no more than 2.5 yuan per cubic meter, if other costs were excluded, according to Yang.