Information release enables the public to judge government work, says a signed article in People's Daily. An excerpt follows:

Although the topic of administration according to law has been stressed by the country again and again in recent years, there have been a lot of cases of government employees misusing their powers illegally.

This is a cause of concern among some delegates who are attending the ongoing sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Information disclosure is the solution some of them have used to stop such malpractice.

Putting them under the supervision of the public will help promote government departments and their employees to work in line with the law. After all, information openness, as a mirror that can clearly reflect their administration capabilities, will pose a severe test to government departments and their workers.

The high frequency of press conferences hosted by the State Council Information Office, the regular briefings by the ministries of health, public security and other ministries and commissions, and the government's timely disclosure of information on unexpected events have all heralded its accelerated steps for information openness.

From all this, people have felt the confidence and efficiency of a modern, civilized and law-governed government.

(China Daily March 8, 2006)