Guangdong will launch Tuesday the first complaint center in China to address complaints from private entrepreneurs.

The center will open a 24-hour hotline to receive complaints.

Guangdong is one of several provinces in China where private business thrives. It has 290 thousand private enterprises at the end of August.

However, private firms have complained that compared with their state-owned counterparts, they are not fairly treated in access to bank loans, business licenses in some areas and other government services.

The Guangdong complaint center aims to provide a channel for private firms to seek fair treatment.

Any government department subject to a complaint must reply within three days and report to the center how it handles the complaint. The center will issue a report of its adjudication within 30 days of receiving the complaint.

The complaint hotline is (020) 8319-1888.

(CRI November 10, 2003)