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Officials apologize over junket
By Wang Xiang |
July 15, 2010, Thursday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
A county anti-corruption authority in central China has apologized after an online post criticized it for spending 200,000 yuan (US$29,536) on an official junket.
The post appeared on Hunan Province's largest web forum rednet.cn on July 10. One day later, the Party disciplinary watchdogs in Hualong County confirmed that they had spent 59,000 yuan on the trip to Guizhou for 44 officials, and said they were sorry.
Another online post yesterday criticized officials in Hunan's Shandong Township who were traveling in Shanghai and Beijing when the town was flooded. "The villagers found there were no one to organize rescue, and all their crops and vegetables in the ground were washed away," the post said.
Shandong government has not yet responded.
The Hualong authority explained that the trip to Guizhou was organized as a training camp. But during the four-day trip, the 44 officials visited Huangguoshu Waterfall and other tourist attractions.
But the authority did not say what kind of punishment these officials would face, only that they will pay for the trip themselves, 1,340 yuan each.
Many online commentators said the bureau's quick response was admirable while others said they worry whether officials who travel on taxpayers' money would face punishment.
Official junkets have long been criticized yet are still seen as a common perk.
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao warned government officials to lead austere lives in March after several extravagant official business trips came to light.
The National Bureau of Corruption Prevention started last month to seek public suggestions on how to curb junkets.
China reportedly spent over 900 billion yuan of taxpayers' money on official business trips, government cars, and banquets every year, according to an earlier report.
The post appeared on Hunan Province's largest web forum rednet.cn on July 10. One day later, the Party disciplinary watchdogs in Hualong County confirmed that they had spent 59,000 yuan on the trip to Guizhou for 44 officials, and said they were sorry.
Another online post yesterday criticized officials in Hunan's Shandong Township who were traveling in Shanghai and Beijing when the town was flooded. "The villagers found there were no one to organize rescue, and all their crops and vegetables in the ground were washed away," the post said.
Shandong government has not yet responded.
The Hualong authority explained that the trip to Guizhou was organized as a training camp. But during the four-day trip, the 44 officials visited Huangguoshu Waterfall and other tourist attractions.
But the authority did not say what kind of punishment these officials would face, only that they will pay for the trip themselves, 1,340 yuan each.
Many online commentators said the bureau's quick response was admirable while others said they worry whether officials who travel on taxpayers' money would face punishment.
Official junkets have long been criticized yet are still seen as a common perk.
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao warned government officials to lead austere lives in March after several extravagant official business trips came to light.
The National Bureau of Corruption Prevention started last month to seek public suggestions on how to curb junkets.
China reportedly spent over 900 billion yuan of taxpayers' money on official business trips, government cars, and banquets every year, according to an earlier report.
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