Wang Zhenyao, director of the disaster-relief department under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said last week that the government agency will gradually retreat from its role in collecting charitable donations, and that the role will be transferred to non-government organizations.

The government has finally decided to remove itself from a job that others are much better positioned to handle.

The Chinese people are thoroughly familiar with the government's role in this work. Once an area suffers a disaster, either flood or earthquake, the civil affairs department directs the collection of public donations to help the victims.

We do believe that the majority of the public are willing and ready to lend a helping hand to those in need.

They willingly give of their money and time.

But with the government's involvement, donating, which should be a purely voluntary act, people cannot help but feel the administrative hand in the process.

Giving of your own free will is an entirely different thing than giving under administrative guidance.

With the government playing the leading role, donations are always tainted with the feel of administrative interference.

Civil affairs departments usually set quotas for enterprises and work units, specifying how much money or materials should be collected.

To comply with the order, some enterprises or units take the money directly from their employees' salaries without notice in advance, with no regard given to whether or not their employees can afford it.

This surely dampens people's enthusiasm for giving donations. Worse, such a practice may induce negative attitudes towards charity.

The governmental presence runs against the original nature of charity, which is giving out of kindness and concern.

The government's withdrawal is expected to bring charitable donation work into a healthy development track. The significance, however, goes beyond this.

The government's removing itself from the processes of charity also serves notice that it better understands the functions and limits of government.

This is in line with the goal of building a government with limited administrative power, as opposed to the old system of omnipotent government.

(China Daily November 21, 2003)