Losing something important can be a very anxious experience. If someone finds it and returns it to you, it is often a great relief. Authorities(部门)in Guangzhou have created a new regulation (规定) to encourage more people to return lost things.
The regulation says that people who hand in lost belongings will get 10 percent of the thing's value as a reward (奖励) from public security (公安) authorities. If the owner can't be found, the finder will still be rewarded with 10 percent of the thing's value after it is sold at a public auction (拍卖). The rewards will come from government funding.
The regulation has caused heated public debate. Opponents say that it will rob the act of its nobility (高尚). Such good deeds (行为) should be done out of selflessness, Qianjiang Evening News reported.
However, there are also people who welcome the regulation, saying it will encourage more people to do the right thing, Beijing Daily reported. After all, not everybody is willing to return lost property(财物) to its owner. Finders will have to take care of lost things and spend time looking for their owners.
The regulation gives finders the right to ask for a reward, which is in the best interests of both parties.
Countries like Japan and Germany have already had similar laws. According to Japan's Lost Goods
Law, people who find a lost thing should quickly return it to the owner or turn it over to the police. The owner should provide the finder with a reward of5 to 20 percent of the thing's value.