Cost of a second child: Pair fined 1.3m yuan
By Li Qian |
May 31, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A couple in eastern China's Zhejiang Province who violated China's family planning rules has been fined 1.3 million yuan (US$205,000), the biggest such penalty levied by authorities in the city of Ruian.
The couple gave birth to a daughter in February after having a son in 1995, Modern Express reported yesterday. Couples may have a second child under a few conditions, such as both spouses being from one-child families, or the first child has a non-inherited disease. In some provinces, rural couples are allowed to have a second child if their first child is a girl.
The couple did not qualify. They are wealthy operators of several companies across the nation, the paper said. Local regulations say the fine should be four to eight times the average annual income of local residents, and family planning authorities have flexibility in meting out penalties.
Since many violators are rich families in Ruian, they are given the maximum fines, local authorities said. Ruian is in the jurisdiction of Wenzhou, which boasts many wealthy entrepreneurs. Nearly half of Wenzhou's families have two kids, and more than a dozen couples have been fined more than 1 million yuan.
The previous record fine, 1.25 million yuan, was imposed in April.
The Chinese government adopted the family-planning policy in 1979 to rein in the growth rate of the world's largest population. China's large population imposes pressure on the nation's sustainable development and has become a bottleneck for China's competitiveness.
The gender imbalance, with many more boys born than girls, poses a big social problem. Changes in family structure, including smaller families and family members not living together, also challenge social management and public service.
The couple gave birth to a daughter in February after having a son in 1995, Modern Express reported yesterday. Couples may have a second child under a few conditions, such as both spouses being from one-child families, or the first child has a non-inherited disease. In some provinces, rural couples are allowed to have a second child if their first child is a girl.
The couple did not qualify. They are wealthy operators of several companies across the nation, the paper said. Local regulations say the fine should be four to eight times the average annual income of local residents, and family planning authorities have flexibility in meting out penalties.
Since many violators are rich families in Ruian, they are given the maximum fines, local authorities said. Ruian is in the jurisdiction of Wenzhou, which boasts many wealthy entrepreneurs. Nearly half of Wenzhou's families have two kids, and more than a dozen couples have been fined more than 1 million yuan.
The previous record fine, 1.25 million yuan, was imposed in April.
The Chinese government adopted the family-planning policy in 1979 to rein in the growth rate of the world's largest population. China's large population imposes pressure on the nation's sustainable development and has become a bottleneck for China's competitiveness.
The gender imbalance, with many more boys born than girls, poses a big social problem. Changes in family structure, including smaller families and family members not living together, also challenge social management and public service.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
