Beijingers appear to be less than happy about the ongoing first
National Economic Census.
So far 345,000 units, companies, public organizations and
private businesses -- 40 percent of the total -- have been visited
by census takers since August 1, says Cui Shuqiang, director of the
Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics.
The job is done by some 50,000 surveyors throughout the capital
city.
But Cui said some central departments and organs of the local
governments are not cooperative. Some private firms and business
people have also refused to respond to the census. Some census
workers have even been abused while trying to carry out their
work.
Some census targets have said that they will not report income
or balance sheet status to any person who comes knocking on the
door.
On average, census workers must visit one work unit three to
five times to complete one form.
Vice Mayor Zhang Mao said on Tuesday that answering the census
is a legal obligation for individuals and business. All 50,000
census workers have been guaranteed personal safety, he stated.
The Beijing census will be finished by the end of this month.
Statistics will be compiled in September and selected
reexaminations conducted, according to the leading group of the
Beijing municipal government for the first National Economic
Census. It has vowed that the margin of error will be less one in
5,000.
Other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will
start their work on the census in the latter half of August or in
September.
(China Daily August 11, 2004)