Chinese customs officers will soon be wearing stripes on their uniforms to indicate their rank, so as to enhance efficiency in combating smuggling and handling checkpoint procedures.
A draft regulation on the new ranking system was presented for consideration Tuesday to the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
Mou Xinsheng, director of the General Administration of Customs, said customs officers are on the front lines of the fight against smuggling and encounter face-to-face confrontations with criminals, which requires a unified commander, swift action, quick response and hard discipline.
Ranks for the front-line staff can avoid confusion and delay at the moment of emergency, said Mou, adding that the system is also conducive for enhancing efficiency at checkpoints and for quick response to complicated urgencies.
Under the system, customs staffs are ranked in five grades -- commissioner-general, commissioner, supervisor, superintendent and constable, the same as policemen.
"Customs officers with stripes will have higher esteem and aspiration for their duties, and it is easier for the public to supervise their behavior," Mou said.
Of the total 43,368 Chinese customs officers, 79 percent are expected to be covered by the new system.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2002)
