SHANGHAI: The city government yesterday announced it will complete a comprehensive credit database covering most Shanghai individuals and enterprises within three years.

By the end of 2005, more than 80 per cent of large enterprises and 50 per cent of the small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanghai will have their credit information collected on the database, allowing for their credit records to be checked and publicized, said Shanghai government spokesman Jiang Lan yesterday.

"We will accelerate the process and the database will be basically completed in two to three years," the spokesman said.

He noted the project, which originally aimed to provide a credit information platform for local commercial banks, also encourages local individuals and firms to look after their credit-worthiness in due procedure.

According to the spokesman, the credit information collected will not cover confidential business information, or any other private details such as religious beliefs, health status or personal property.

Shanghai initiated the project in 1999, becoming the first city in the Chinese mainland to collect its citizens credit information.

So far, the government-backed Shanghai Credit Information Service Co Ltd (SCIS) has collected credit reports on nearly one quarter of Shanghai citizens and of around 590,000 Shanghai-based enterprises.

In another development, the spokesman yesterday denied overseas media reports that German firms will compensate heavily for quality problems with the cable systems of the Shanghai Maglev Transrapid Line, which were found in June. "German suppliers have replaced the troublesome parts with new ones and the problems have been fixed already," said Jiang.

(HK Edition 07/31/2003 page2)