On Transformation Of Local Government Functions In Construction Of Harmonious Society

The 6th conference of 16th session of CPC voted through The Great Decision About Building Up A Socialist Harmonious Society Made By The Central Committee Of The Communist Party Of China (hereinafter is abbreviated to Decision ). The Decision arouses hot discussion from all circles of people about the contents, methods and ways of building up a harmonious society. Building up a socialist harmonious society is a systematic engineering that involves many fields and requires the whole society to participate. Particularly, the local governments which are the"foundation stone"of CPC the party in power should play their part well. China is now experiencing rapid change, facing high risks and serious social problems. Quite a number of social contradictions exist in the local places and the local governments have many problems in their governmental functions. The building up a harmonious society requires the local governments to control and coordinate their departments, work out good policy and change their governmental functions.This paper comprises three parts.Part one analyzes the significance of changing governmental functions of the local governments to better serve the task of building up a harmonious society. This part presents the significance from four aspects. First, it is necessary to change the governmental functions of the local governments so as to realize a quick and healthy economic development of the local places. Second, it is necessary to change the governmental functions of the local governments to promote the coordinated development of society and economy of the local places. Third, it is imperative to change the governmental functions of the local governments so as to advance the innovation of social managerial system. Fourth, it is required to change the governmental functions of the local governments to deepen the reform of administrative system.Part two devotes to an analysis of the current state and the existing problems of the governmental functions of the local governments. The following four aspects show that the governmental functions of the local governments are not suitable for the current state. First, the function of economic adjustment is strengthened so much so that enterprises'existence is not independent sufficiently. Second, the function of market regulation is not used appropriately so that the competitive enviroment is less fair. Third, the function of social management is ambiguity so that the existence of public power is a weak justice. Fourth, due to lack of strength of public service function by local governments, citizen's consumption is not autonomous enough.This part also analyzes the factors that hinder the change of governmental functions of the local governments. The factors are: 1. the traditional official-centered and government-centered ideas. 2. the value orientation of"satisfying the higher authorities". 3. the lagging establishment of"citizen's society". 4. the non-standard administrative acts resulting from the imperfect restrictive system.Part three studies the basic methods of changing the governmental functions of the local government in the process of building up a harmonious society. Based on the analysis carried out in part one and part two and taking the practical situation into account, four suggestions are put forward in this part. Firstly, the function of economic control should be changed into a limited rather than omnipotent one. In regard to this aspect, four pieces of advice are proposed, that is, the market should be really put into the society, the enterprises should be really put into the society and the government should be really put into the society. Secondly, the function of market administration should be changed so that the market is administrated by law rather than by people. In regard to this aspect, four pieces of advice are put forward, they are: authoritarianism should be replaced by administration by law; the traditional practice that policy enjoys top priority is replaced by that law enjoys top priority; market administration by people is replaced by market administration by law; closed market administration is replaced by transparent market administration. Thirdly, the function of social management should be changed so that the local governments should take seriously on their responsibility rather than their power. In regard to this aspect, four pieces of advice are proposed in the following text. The four pieces of advice are: the idea of exercising power should be replaced by that of taking moral responsibility; the idea of exercising power should be replaced by taking political responsibility; the idea of exercising power should be replaced by taking legal responsibility; the idea of exercising power should be replaced by taking credit responsibility. Fourthly, the function of public service should be changed into a high efficient rather than a low efficient one. First, the local governments should embrace the idea of high efficient service so that they can provide high efficient service. Second, the technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and policy efficiency of local governments should be improved so as to realize a balanced allocation in every field and provide high utility service. Third, the local governments should manage the cost of administration so as to rid the traditional administration practice with high cost but low efficient service and turn out high benefit local governments.In addition, this paper holds that the following three key changes should be paid great attention in the process of changing the governmental functions of the local government: first, changing the official-centered idea into people-centered idea; second, changing the official status into public servant status; third, changing the traditional governments into electronic governments.