A county government in China has brought in a new system of fines for citizens, imposing penalties on people who do not complete basic household chores, sparking fierce countrywide debate. Puge county in Sichuan province in southwestern China said it would impose a 10-yuan (US$1.4) penalty on people who did not make their beds or left dishes unwashed. It also added a 20-yuan fine for people who squatted while eating. The new policy, titled “Fine Standards for the New Countryside for Human Settlement Environment”, aims to enhance living conditions and details 14 categories of behaviour which are subject to fines. Others include a five-yuan penalty if officials discover intact spiders webs. If a courtyard contains clutter or faeces, this could result in fines ranging from three to 10 yuan depending on the severity of the situation. The notice stresses that fines will double upon repeated offences. The vice-director of the village insisted to The Paper on November 14 that the new fines are still being drafted, but the goal is to address the pervasive issue of “dirty, messy, and disorderly living conditions”.
When you visit a farmer’s home, the conditions are often far from presentable. The environment is filthy and messy, featuring spider webs, people dining on the ground, with numerous mosquitoes and dogs in close proximity. “To be honest, fines cannot effectively address these problems. We are using fines as a means of deterrence,” he said. The vice-director added that the government plans to reinvest the money raised in the community. “For instance, if a household is penalised three yuan, we will use that amount to purchase a broom for them. If the fine is 10 yuan, we will buy a basin for them. Our goal is to transform these detrimental habits, which is an extremely difficult task,” he added. Another member of staff told Dahe Daily that the poor living conditions exacerbate the spread of disease and that Puge county is not the first place to impose such fines.
