Laptop gift to members raises spending concern
- Source: Global Times
- [02:45 March 04 2010]
- Comments
By Deng Jingyin
The Third Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2010. Photo: Xinhua
More than 2,000 CPPCC members who attend this year's annual session in Beijing will get to take home a laptop computer, a move meant to reduce paper waste.
The news immediately drew mixed reactions and some called it wasteful spending although the cost of each computer was not disclosed.
"I think to let participants keep the machines is progress. Members can use them to submit proposals throughout the year, so as to fulfill their duties daily instead of once a year," Mu Kefa, vice president of Anhui Provincial Islamic Association, told the Global Times.
Zhang Xiaomei, a CPPCC member from the China Beauty Fashion newspaper, wrote in her micro blog Tuesday that last year, members had to leave their laptops at the meeting.
"To return the laptop makes no sense. People already got their own laptops are not willing to get used to the new one only for the meeting," she told the Guangzhou Daily. "But granting members a laptop will improve our awareness of e-office," she added.
Last year, in addition to the laptop, members got a flash disk and were asked not to submit proposals on paper.
All computers were collected after the meeting and were shelved for reuse this year.
Several members confirmed the gift to the Global Times including Cui Yongyuan, a prominent talk show host.
"I got a laptop Wednesday. The brand name starts with letter L," Cui said.
The letter L could indicate Lenovo, China's top computer brand.
However, some members of the public expressed doubts because of the cost.
"If each one is purchased at 5,000 yuan ($734), they will cost over 10 million yuan for more than 2,000 members. It is unfair for the taxpayers to bear all the cost," said Cheng Meng of Beijing.
On netease.com, some Internet users claimed that this is another case of government procurement.
"The government might pay much higher than the market price," a person from Beijing said on the Internet.
According to an earlier report from the Southern Metropolis Daily, each computer last year cost about 3,000 yuan with basic configuration.
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