Vice premier requests frugality, integrity for public offices

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang Friday requested public offices to operate with frugality and integrity, better performing duties and serving the people. Speaking at a meeting honoring role models for distinguished public service at the national level, Vice Premier Li urged the public offices to "use resources and logistics where they are most needed." Strict expenditure management in public offices is in the hope of taxpayers, who always pay a close eye on public expenditure and government procurement, said Li, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. "The public offices should use public money in a thrifty and reasonable way, increase transparency of governance and expose themselves to public scrutiny," Li said. Li asked the public offices to save energy, water and consumable items in daily operation, in order to practise their social responsibility. Li also demanded public officials to keep integrity, avoid conflict of interest, act impartially and refrain from corruption. In response to public outcry for more transparency in use of public funds, China's cabinet, or the State Council, ordered earlier this year 98 ministries and same-level governmental organs to make public their budget and expenditure on official overseas visits, public vehicles and official receptions. Government expenditure on those three items, commonly referred to as the "three public spendings," have long been viewed as the main source of squandering or even corruption. A Ministry of Finance report in June revealed that the "three public spendings" at the national level totaled 9.47 billion yuan (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) last year, with expenditure on service vehicles reaching 6.17 billion yuan. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Friday publicized on its website a regulation on purchasing the majority of service cars, limiting the price per unit under 180,000 yuan.