The shanghai government is planning to set up 1 million free e-mail accounts in July for local citizens to receive information about their social security funds as well as utilities bills they can pay online.

　　"The Internet is an effective platform for the municipal government to release its statements and policies to local people," said Zhang Jianmin, an official with the Shanghai Information Technology Development Commission, which is organizing the project.

　　The government recently promised to increase transparency by releasing more information about social security funds and the city's budget among other items.

　　Currently, the city publishes pamphlets containing such information, which are distributed through more than 1,000 newsstands around Shanghai. But the statements often disappear before many people get a chance to read them.

　　The free online mailboxes will allow the government to send individual information to city residents.

　　Users of the program, who must register to set up one of the free e-mail accounts, will receive information about their accounts at the so-called "four funds" - the city's housing, unemployment insurance, medical insurance and pension funds.

　　They can also receive their water, electricity, gas and phone bills, which they can pay online with a credit card.

　　"All the services of the mailbox are free," said Xiang Lihong of the information commission.

　　Shanghai fft Information Service Company, the online payment Website's operator, said it won't charge users any service fees.

　　"We will charge the utility companies and mobile operators, such as Shanghai Mobile and Shanghai Unicom, less than 0.5 percent of money in the users' bills to maintain the free e-mail service," said FFT's General Manager Xu Hao.

　　"Certainly, I will register for an e-mail account as soon as possible because it cost me a lot of time to calculate the 'four funds' and pay my bills now," said Cao Jian, 24.

　　Cao said he currently pays his utility bills at three different sites every month.

　　The information commission said it will develop 2 million citizen e-mail accounts by the end of next year.

　　City residents will soon be able to register for one of the free accounts at the local government's Website.