Giggles come from an office in a local government complex. Inside, two staff members are playing computer games. The situation is duly noted by several inspectors passing by.

Days later, the names of the staff members appear on a circular which is distributed within local government agencies as a warning to civil servants who are found idle during working hours.

Such on-the-spot inspections are part of a so-called "efficiency campaign" initiated in mid-2003 in Wenzhou, an affluent city in the eastern province of Zhejiang. The campaign is aimed at restoring the government's image in the face of increasing criticism for low efficiency.

Over the past half year, more than 400 staff in the city government have been given disciplinary warnings, demoted or sacked for poor performance.

The tightened rein on civil servants has had tangible results. Local government offices have forged a plethora of down-to-earth measures to improve service and streamline procedures needed for approval. Waiting time for approvals for some business items has been cut almost in half.

A recent opinion poll revealed 86.6 per cent of Wenzhou residents think government staff now work "in a good manner." Some 96.3 per cent said they have not been served by civil servants who pick holes, shirk responsibilities or commit extortion.

Such a high degree of public satisfaction is in sharp contrast to the widespread feeling of poor local government service in the past, which soured many entrepreneurs' business appetite and forced authorities to make an extensive overhaul.

In a report on the competitiveness of 23 Chinese cities posted on the World Bank's website late last year, Wenzhou was ranked dead last in terms of government efficiency.

That listing's credibility not withstanding, it sounded an alarm to the city for much-needed improvement in the performance of government organizations.

Many businesses had complained that they were forced to relocate despite Wenzhou's sound infrastructure because poor government service thwarted their future plans. Entrepreneurs' dissatisfaction reportedly led to an exodus of more than 100 billion yuan (US$12 billion) of capital out of the city in recent years.

Zhu Kang, a researcher at Wenzhou's Party school, said the government's efficiency is directly linked to businesses' efficiency and the city's competitiveness.

"The government's performance accounts for a special cost in businesses in that dealing with the government eats into their material and human resources," he said. "The higher the cost, the lower their competitiveness."

The growing pressure finally convinced Wenzhou's top officials to launch a sweeping "efficiency campaign." As a major move, the city government issued a serious directive to ban civil servants from disobeying rules, dragging in their work, serving the public in a bad manner, or creating difficulties for the public for purposes of extortion.

Although critics say the government is not doing more than what it is supposed to do, these measures have brought encouraging effects.

Investment rose quickly within the past half year, with several projects worth over 100 million yuan (US$12 million) each. Some companies that quit the city years ago are coming back.

These results have distinguished Wenzhou's "efficiency campaign" from many similar disciplinary practices used in the past that often led nowhere. Many attribute it to the authorities' resolve in implementing the rules to the letter.

But some point out that it still doesn't go far enough if it merely touches on government offices' manner of service.

"There must be a lasting supervisory mechanism to standardize government service," said Ye Qing, a local civil servant in the city.

Wenzhou's practice may be the epitome of efforts many local authorities are making to elevate their performance.

For example, Zhejiang has planned to set up special offices within the provincial government to assess and oversee the efficiency of local government agencies. The province will also tighten up the recruitment and drop-out of civil servants to spur them to work more prudently.

In some cities such as Beijing and Dalian, local governments have opened complaint centres to handle public complaints about government service.

Even the central government is taking bold moves to improve efficiency. The State Council, China's cabinet, decided last week to remove the routine of the Premier's working meeting, which was found to be overlapping with other major cabinet meetings.

Generally speaking, central and local administrations have presented different approaches to the efficiency problem. Some aim to erase the red tape, while others introduce public monitoring and let civil servants take the easy way out.

Mao Shoulong, a professor of administrative science at Renmin University of China, said that what is sauce for the goose is not necessarily sauce for the gander.

"Current administration reform measures are mainly introduced in coastal areas. If governments in the hinterland duplicate them blindly, problems will probably occur because the situations are different," Mao said.

However, he said several principles should be observed universally in local governments' efficiency campaigns, such as transparency and respect of the law and individual rights.

"For example, officials in Wenzhou could be sacked for trifling with their duty. But are they provided with any channels to appeal and defend themselves? Such basic rights should not be overridden in reforms," said Mao.

"The government is expected to play a limited role in line with the law, to be a service provider rather than a ruler," he said.

"If this point can be well observed, the government's efficiency-oriented reforms will hopefully press ahead under a fair and professional framework."

(China Daily February 19, 2004)