Speaking on the annual World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, Vice-Minister Pu Changcheng of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ), urged yesterday for consumers to report cases of poor-quality goods to stop those involved from doing harm.

The inspection levels of products which have a direct effect on people's lives such as food, drinking water and building materials will be more stringent.

"Each year we check different products many, many times but I think the general public could help us more," Pu said in an online forum hosted by the Xinhua News Agency website.

"We hope consumers and businesses provide more tip-offs and we stand ready to crack down on any violations," he said.

In the food sector, Pu said, 70-80 percent of the firms involved had fewer than 10 workers each and "these small units pose health and safety problems," he commented.

The use of forbidden additives ranging from cases of Sudan Red in food and formaldehyde in beers had also been discovered, Pu said. He blamed some businesses for simply not following  state guidelines.

As for vegetables, Pu said, it was better to avoid any pollution at the source by ensuring farmers didn't use banned pesticides.

He also said one area his administration was concentrating on was tightening of checks on drinking water in rural areas. He noted there were potential problems with supplies from wells and rivers.

Meanwhile, China aims to set up a nationwide product identification, authentication and tracking system by the year 2010, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The system, which is on trial in north China's Hebei Province, aims to protect the consumer and the rights of companies as well as promoting the overall social and economic development.

It is helpful to consumers to be able to clearly differentiate between fake and genuine products. Enterprises will be given a better idea on product by way of the system. The system will also help law enforcement departments keep a watchful eye on the entire market.

The administration is planning to implement the system in 100 key cities covering 100 key products in the food, agricultural and building materials sectors.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2006)