Private business lobbies for same status and legal protection as state sector
Chairman Mao recently reopened his mausoleum after a six-month rest and refit. Listening to one proposal in the National People's Congress (NPC) across the street, he may want to close it permanently, go back to the mountains and start the revolution again.
More than 30 private businessmen who are NPC delegates have signed a petition calling for the constitution to be amended to give the private sector the same status and legal protection as the public sector.
'We should create an environment of fair and equal competition, clarify the legal status of the private sector and protect its legal rights and interests,' the petition reads.
The constitution designates public ownership as the 'leading power' of the economy, which the government must consolidate and develop. It does not accord such status to the private sector.
The private businessmen have a strong case.
First, private companies account for between 10 and 20 per cent of the gross domestic product, economists say. Accurate figures are elusive because of the confusion over how many collective, shareholding or joint venture companies are private and the fact that many private firms hide their real identity to escape official interference and taxes, legal and illegal.
