A database for Shanghai's social security card system is almost finished.
Correcting and integrating information into the database is the next step, the Shanghai Municipal Information Office said yesterday.
The Shanghai Information Center of Social Security and Civic Service (ICSSCS) under the Information Office has spent the last three years building the database by collecting citizens' information on social security benefits, civil affairs, medical care and public housing.
"By the end of March, more than 6.7 million Shanghai citizens had received their integrated circuit (IC) cards, which they need to access the database. This improves the local government's efficiency," said Sun Jianping, vice-director of the Information Office.
"Although we have information about more than 7 million citizens in the system, 400,000 still cannot access it," said Zhang Huifen, ICSSCS director.
That's because of conflicting data collected on the same people. The information had been supplied by five different departments, according to Zhang.
Therefore, ICSSCS is double-checking all its information on the citizens from the civil affairs bureau, the public security bureau, the public housing fund system, the medication system and the welfare system.
(China Daily April 13, 2002)
