Party’s ban on gifts is extended to New Year
Print Edition
Chinese officials are banned from using public funds to buy New Year celebration items ranging from alcohol to fireworks, in the Communist Party’s latest step in a crackdown on waste and graft.
The order extends to New Year’s Day and the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the Party’s anti-corruption watchdog said yesterday.
“During the festivals, the scenario of using public funds to give gifts is widespread, an improper atmosphere is prevalent, the masses have expressed strong opinions,” the Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said.
Flowers, food and tobacco are the other items officials are barred from buying with public funds.
The commission asked discipline and inspection organs at all levels to strengthen supervision and expose violations in a timely manner during the holidays.
The order covers government and Party offices, state-owned enterprises and financial institutions, although an exception will be made for people who want to “console” others and employees in financial difficulties, according to the commission.
During the Lunar New Year, which falls on January 31 next year, many Chinese set off fireworks and firecrackers over the weeklong period, filling the sky at night with brightly colored explosions and smoke.
The festival is the biggest holiday for Chinese people.
Similar circular
This is not the first time that the commission has issued such regulations ahead of holidays.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival in September and the seven days of National Day holidays in early October, the watchdog issued a similar circular urging officials to refrain from luxurious banquets and gift giving.
The campaign against extravagance started with an eight-point rule, introduced at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the end of last year, with the aim of fighting bureaucracy and formalism and rejecting extravagance among Party members.
Since taking office in March, President Xi Jinping has called corruption a threat to the Party’s survival and vowed to go after powerful “tigers” as well as lowly “flies.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
