Chinese officials told to keep away from luxury
- Source: Xinhua
- [08:39 September 12 2009]
- Comments
China's anti-graft chief He Guoqiang on Friday urged officials to carry out a thrifty style in life and work, as the country's campaign to curb "official luxury" started to pay off.
He, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the remarks at a meeting on the practices of the policies on keeping a thrifty style and curbing sightseeing abroad on public money.
"The central authorities' decision on curbing officials' using public money to sightsee abroad is a necessary step for our country to cope with the global economic crisis and a long-term strategic policy to draw the Party closer to the people," said He.
Statistics show that in the first six months of this year, departments of the central Party organs and government departments saved a total of 597 million yuan (87.3 million US dollars) from overseas trips, vehicle purchase and business reception.
Local government organizations saved 15.2 billion yuan.
He, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged Party and government organizations at all levels to "stoutly" check and manage any luxury cases that violated laws and disciplines and punish whoever was involved.
China set a goal to reduce this year's spending on business trips aboard by 20 percent compared with the average figure from the last three years.
The reduction goal for vehicle purchase is 15 percent.
In March, the country issued a circular ordering officials at all levels not to spend public money on sightseeing overseas.
The move has seen effects as He revealed that in the first half of 2009, the number of officials in the Party and government departments who traveled aboard on business dropped by 53.23 percent compared with the average of the same periods in the past three years.
In addition to officials at Party organs and government departments, a regulation for state-owned enterprises leaders released in August also specified that various kinds of spendings disguised as work duty - including traveling aboard, buying cars and luxurious office decorations among others - were prohibited.
