Find better solutions than fees and taxes

Many conference delegates are urging the government to treat environmental pollution and traffic congestion in the cities with concrete action. But that does not mean that the government can solve the problems only by collecting fees and taxes from drivers and some polluters, says an editorial in the 21st Century Business Herald. Excerpts:

There are already many fees and taxes imbedded in the gas, parking fees, etc, for private car users. The money is supposed to pay for the city's construction and traffic administration. If the authority levies more congestion fees on car owners, it must convince the public of the fees' rationality and legal basis, and the proposal must go through the proper public-hearing process.

The government is the main provider of public services. The residents' satisfaction is the final criterion that judges government performance. The government should learn to reduce the residents' burdens of taxes and fees. Price is an effective tool to exercise control of the market, but not necessarily the righteous tool for society governance. A government that relies on collecting fees to realize its administration objectives is not a good government.