A top railway official yesterday denied reports that the Ministry
of Railways would be dismissed in the near future, although he
admitted that reforms in the ministry's framework is on the way.
Recent reports have said since the railway ministry is the only one
among the four monopoly industries -- which also include
telecommunications, electricity and civil aviation -- that has not
undergone market-oriented reform in China, severe changes would
face the railway ministry early next year. Some reports said it
would be divided into four departments based on their functions and
relations.
Fu
Zhihuan, the railways minister, said there is absolutely no plan to
dissolve the ministry.
"Railway transportation plays an extremely important role in our
country's communication systems, so no decision on railway reform
comes easy," Fu said at a news conference called by the Information
Office at the State Council.
Unlike the three other monopoly industries, which encourage
industry competition by forming large-scale companies, Fu said
China's limited railway sources hinder similar actions, and market
factors have to be put on hold in many cases.
"Each year, we carry billions of passengers back home for family
reunions during Spring Festival without considering operation
costs. We also allocated many transportation tasks, which are
destined to lose money," Fu said. He added that under normal market
circumstances nobody would take on the money-losing business.
Fu
and his colleagues have researched many railway reform examples in
the world, but found no fresh examples suitable for China's
conditions.
"Britain had successfully reformed its system, but recent fatal
accidents showed its railway reform in past decades was far from
successful," Fu said. He used Britain as an example to warn that
patience and caution are necessary in railway reform.
But even with caution, Fu stressed that railway reform has never
been stopped.
The railway ministry has successfully separated income-tabulation
from passenger and cargo transportation and fired some service
companies over the past few years.
"All those reforms were carried out step by step, and it lays a
firm foundation for the industry's future development," Fu
said.
On
the issue of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, Fu said it is
still under discussion on which kind of technologies it will
adopt.
"But one thing I can tell you is that the new railway is necessary.
The Beijing-Shanghai railway has reached its maximum capacity so
far, and we need the new railways to share in the pressure," Fu
said.
When asked about the perspective of China Railcom, a subordinate
company under the railway ministry, Fu said he is confident about
its future.
(China
Daily October 19, 2002)