The Second Plenary Session of the 12th Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, or the city's top political advisory body, began its opening ceremony on SUnday morning at the Expo Center, recapping the work of 2013 and setting main tasks for this year.
A total of 792 deputies, including officials from the foreign consulates, foreign guests and company heads, attended the meeting.
Wu Zhiming, chairman of the standing committee of the 12th CPPCC Shanghai Committee, delivered a work report of the committee over the past year. The meeting also adopted a report on how suggestions and proposals from CPPCC members were handled since the last session.
By January 8, a total of 951 proposals were submitted by political advisors on Shanghai's economic development, democracy, legal system, cultural building and ecological civilization.
Among them, 941 proposals were handed to related government departments and 937 have been replied. The rest four proposals are still within the replying time limit of three months.
More than half of the proposals, or 475, attached great importance to issues related to people's life, covering topics from renovating old lifts to prevent safety hazards, strengthening food safety monitoring system and promoting international courses in local high schools.
Seventy-four proposals targeted how to tackle environment pollution, especially air pollution which is a key concern of both local and international residents in Shanghai.
"Expats will not complain too much but simply leave Shanghai if the air polltion is beyond their scope to endure," Piter de Jong, Shanghai branch manager of Holland's ING Bank N.V., told Shanghai Daily.
Jong said everyone needs to do something to help reduce pollution such as use renewable energies such as solar or wind energies.
"The air won't turn good if Shanghai government closes all factories while factories in neighboring provinces are still producing pollutants," Jong said.
Jong said Shanghai government should coordinate with governments in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces to tackle this pressing issue together.
Jong, who has been living in Shanghai for 15 years, said there were few people caring about pollution when he first came to Shanghai. He thinks it is good that the city government and local people have realized the problem which is now measurable.
About 74.6 percent of the proposals were adopted or solved and 6.51 percent are to be solved. However, 18.89 percent of the proposals were kept for reference.
"We've seen many problems and shortcomings duing our work. For example, the proposals need to have a broader vision, be more in-depth and practical while the related government should be urged to put the reasonable advice and sugguestion in the proposals into practice," said Li Liangyuan, vice chairman of the 12th CPPCC Shanghai Committee.
For the coming year, the city's political advisory body will focus on providing advice for the construction of the Shanghai free trade zone and innovation of government management, Wu said.
"Shanghai is at a key stage of reform and overcoming difficulties. We need political advisors to give their voices and serve the city better," Wu said at the end of the work report.
The Shanghai People's Congress, or the city's top legislative body, will hold its opening ceremony tomorrow at the Expo Center.
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