Close to 1,700 officials, celebrities and wealthy people in
Hubei Province were exposed and fined for breaking family planning
laws last year, the provincial family planning commission has
said.
Three lawmakers from the local People's Congress and four
political advisors from the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) of different levels were expelled, while 395
officials were dismissed, the Hubei-based Chutian Metropolitan
News reported yesterday.
Li Shaoqing, chairman of a cement company in Xiaochang county
and an ex-CPPCC member for the county, received the biggest fine -
765,500 yuan ($105,000) - for having an unauthorized child in May
2006.
But he has only handed in 100,000 yuan so far.
The announcement of the punishments came amid public outcry over
the growing number of wealthy people choosing to violate the family
planning law by having unauthorized children, despite the threat of
fines.
Experts said penalties have not deterred the wealthy from having
more children.
Jiang Zhongsan, a commission official, said the fines are
equivalent to several times the annual wage of an urban or rural
worker, but are relatively small to a rich person.
Administrative punishments that affect a worker's job also have
little impact on many celebrities and rich people because they are
usually their own bosses, Jiang said.
Lin Guangsheng, deputy director of the commission, said, "This
has impaired law enforcement efforts."
The problem of rich people simply accepting the fact they will
be fined for having unauthorized children is no longer a family
planning issue, but a social one that is hampering equality, he
said.
Experts have suggested increasing the fines so they have more of
an impact on the wealthy, who, they said, must be made to abide by
the same rules as everyone else.
(China Daily January 2, 2008)