A department to supervise all energy resources should be set up, says an article in Procuratorial Daily. The following is an excerpt:

On December 1, the draft of the energy law was released through the media and Internet to solicit the views of the public.

As the economy develops, energy resources, including petroleum, coal and electricity, play an important role and any setback receives wide attention.

The new energy law is to negate setbacks and the authorities are looking for suggestion from the public. One of the most important is to set up a special department to oversee all matter related to the use of energy.

Currently, matters related to energy are dealt with by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Land and Resources, the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Environmental Protection Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Development and Reform Commission.

When so many departments are in charge, the situation becomes complicated and hinders the proper regulation and supervision of energy.

These departments might only consider their own interests when making decisions and these decisions might conflict with others. Public interest could be compromised, and the law not fully observed.

Our country does not have a common strategy for the development of energy resources as it is in the hands of so many departments. And the absence of such a strategy goes against the increasingly important role energy plays today in the national economy.

Most market economies have a special department in charge of planning and supervision of all energy resources. Such a system improves overall efficiency as well as the professional level of energy management.

This is what the authorities in our country should consider in the draft legislation.

(China Daily December 12, 2007)