Since its launch in November last year, Pingtan's government service hotline "12345" has been gaining in popularity.

The hotline offers local residents round-the-clock services for consulting, complaints, and assistance.

"A lot of residents have no idea which department the need to turn to when encountering problems in daily life," said Cai Chunqiang, an official of Pingtan government administrative center.

"Each operator has to answer about 40 to 100 calls per day. Half of the calls are about public services such as healthcare, education, and transportation," Cai said.

Operators record each caller's name, contact information and specific queries, and refer the callers'requests to the relevant department.

On Jan 19, a resident from Beigang village in Liushui town called the hotline and said, "My brother went fishing on a boat this morning, he should have returned by now, but he hasn't and I'm worried." The operator lost no time in contacting the Pingtan Bureau of Maritime which found the fisherman had run into trouble and rescued him. The service hotline has also become an important communication platform between government officials and local residents. A lot of residents make calls to give their valuable suggestions about city management and development.

"We shall continue to improve our service quality, bringing more convenience to Pingtan people," pledged Cai.

Operators of Pingtan government service hotline "12345" hit the phones. [Photo provided to chinadaily]