People who violate family planning policies will be fined according to their income level, the National Population and Family Planning Commission said on Friday.

The move follows increasing public concern that some wealthy people violated the policy because fines weren't high enough to be a deterrent.

A statement issued on the commission's official website said that 11 ministerial-level administrations including the Organization Department of CPC Central Committee, Ministry of Supervision, and the commission, have jointly lined out a series of tightening measures to enforce the country's family planning policies.

"Party members, cadres and social public figures should take the lead in following the population and family planning regulations and policies," the statement said.

The statement said that public figures who severely violated the policies would be exposed and punished in accordance to law.

As a deterrent, urban residents who violate the policy risk having a black mark against their bank credit standing.

It is estimated China's population would be about 400 million greater than today, if the country did not enforce a nationwide family planning policy in 1973.

The world's most populous country currently has a population of more than 1.3 billion.

Zhang Weiqing, head of the commission, said at a symposium in July that the government will remain committed to controlling population growth and improving quality of life.

"The huge population has always been a major problem that restricts the nation's economic and social development," he said.

(China Daily September 15, 2007)