A public toilet in Fuzhou, Fujian province, is still closed, although its construction was completed more four months ago. No wonder, people, especially local residents, are asking what is wrong with the toilet, says an article on gmw.cn. Excerpts:

Public toilets may be a relatively small part of local governments' projects, but they are important for the people. Public toilets are a must in areas frequented by locals as well as tourists. It is difficult to explain the frustration, and physical pain, that arises when people visit a public toilet and find it closed.

In response to residents' complaints, the Fuzhou local sanitation department said it was not sure when the public toilet will be opened, because the water and electricity supply to the facility and its sewerage system are not yet ready. But shouldn't these arrangements be made before a public toilet is built? Besides, why should the public suffer because of the lapse of local officials?

Surprisingly, the Fuzhou toilet is not the only example of its kind. Recent media reports show that a forest park in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, too has a public toilet which is yet to be opened to the public even years after its construction. The reasons for that, according to local officials, are an excessively long planning cycle, uncertainty over investment and management, and shortage of construction funds.

Public service facilities should be built after proper, foolproof planning, because they are directly related to the welfare of the people. If not, the facilities will be a criminal waste of public funds that will harm the image of local authorities and leave the people frustrated and angry.

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(China Daily 04/21/2014 page9)