Wang Zhiqiang: Governance Appliances' Virtual Standards Can Learn from New Regulations of Drunk Driving

Recently, media reports said that the "China Energy Label" posted on the body of household appliances has moisture, and some companies do not want to falsify energy efficiency labels. The "virtual standard energy efficiency rating" has become the unspoken rules of the household appliance industry. In the interview, the reporter found that the home appliance industry has the problem of falsification of technical parameters. In addition to the virtual energy efficiency rating, the noise, volume, refrigerating capacity, and power consumption of household appliances have become masks for some companies to “suck gold”. (Beijing News, January 19)

The reason why the virtual standard has become the unspoken rules of the home appliance industry is due to two reasons: The carrot in front of the company is large enough, and the stick behind it is small enough.

Let me say that the carrot in front of me is big enough. On June 1, 2009, the state formally implemented the "Energy-saving Products Benefiting People Project" in the air-conditioning industry, and implemented a financial subsidy of 300-850 yuan for fixed-frequency air-conditioners that meet the energy efficiency standards of Class 1 and Class 2 at the time of sale. After June 2010, the standard was lowered to 150-250 yuan. Jingdong Mall's price information shows that the current price of 1P fixed-frequency heating and cooling air-conditioning in the 2800 yuan, the cheapest air-conditioning is only 2199 yuan. Financial subsidies can account for 10% of the final price of a product. How can an enterprise give up this portion of its profits? The relevant data shows that by the end of 2010, in order to implement the “Energy-saving Products Benefiting People Project,” the central government has arranged a total of more than 16 billion yuan in subsidies.

In addition to fraudulently obtaining financial subsidies, the imaginary mark itself can also bring profits to the company, especially the "functional imaginary mark." For example, in addition to formaldehyde air conditioners, 1Hz-45W air conditioners, etc., so that products have a selling point immediately, stand out from similar products.

Besides, the big stick behind is small enough. “Energy-saving products benefiting the people’s project” is a project that the state spends heavily to promote energy conservation and emission reduction and benefit ordinary people. However, in accordance with the “Regulations on the Management of Energy Efficiency Labeling”, if any unscrupulous company uses this project as a tool for profiteering, the penalty imposed upon discovery is only “a local energy conservation management department or a local quality inspection department will order correction within a time limit. Stop using energy efficiency labels; if the circumstances are serious, the local quality inspection department shall impose a fine of up to 10,000 yuan." How can such a light punishment force dispel the desire and impulse of corporate fraud?

From this point of view, the company's behavior of defrauding financial subsidies and attracting consumers' eyeballs through false standards is not only of high profits but also of low risks. Ever since, everyone has been unaware of their suspicions, and they have resorted to falsifications. In spite of their adherence to good faith, they have less buying points and their competitiveness has fallen. It is difficult to seize the market. As a result, the home appliance industry has naturally become a typical example of the “bad money drives out good money” market.

The precondition for the establishment of the fact that "bad money drives out good money" must be that the nominal value of bad money and good money is equal. The equal nominal value is either mandatory or difficult to identify. For example, in ancient Europe, the gold coin that was chamfered was also a legal currency. Its purchasing power was equal to that of a gold coin that was not chapped. Therefore, people had enough incentive to use the gold coin that was cut out of the edge. The gold coin was not chapped in the cellar, so all the money circulating on the market was It is a shredded bad coin. In the field of home appliances, due to the strong information asymmetry, it is difficult for ordinary consumers to distinguish the pros and cons. Even industry experts need to rely on the necessary monitoring instruments and means in the laboratory to determine whether the product has a misnomer or not. Therefore, it is very easy for a product that is easy to discriminate against a counterfeit currency to betray a good coin.

In addition to stubborn illnesses, you need to use strong drugs. The author thinks of the "new driving rules for drunk driving" that began last year. On May 1, 2011, the "Driving Drunk Driving Regulations" officially began. The new regulations stipulate that drunk driving can be held criminally liable. Not long after, the famous musician Gao Xiaosong was sentenced to imprisonment for drinking and driving for six months and became a hot topic. In the seven months since the implementation of the new regulations, a total of 2,135 motor vehicles for drunk driving were investigated across the country, a decrease of 44.5% over the same period of last year. Among them, drunk driving motor vehicles from 33183, compared with the same period last year dropped by 43.7%.

Enterprises do not fly, the industry is difficult to self-discipline, therefore, the burden of protecting consumer rights naturally falls into the hands of the relevant government departments. For social environmental protection and product innovation, carrots for financial subsidies must continue to be provided; for consumer rights and interests, and for the construction of a trustworthy environment, the relevant departments must also increase the intensity of investigations and punishments for falsification.

Heavy punishment, drunkenness can be awake; stick out, identification is difficult again.