Government officials will not be allowed to hold conferences in
the country's tourist spots or stay in luxurious hotels during
business trips beginning from next year.
Governments and institutes are required to make full use of
their subordinate hotels and restaurants during business trips,
Liao Xiaojun, vice minister with China's Ministry of Finance, said
during a video conference yesterday.
"This is part of measures to further regulate civil servants and
build the Party's image of honesty and transparency," Liao
said.
The ministry has revised the expense standards for officials on
business trips and conferences, since it's been using the standards
set 10 years ago, Liao said.
The new standards involve expenses for transport,
accommodations, conference, meals and the miscellaneous costs of
government officials and the employees of government-funded
institutes around the country.
For example, officials who rank as vice ministers will be
allowanced as much as 600 yuan (US$76.63) for a hotel per day,
while officials at bureau chief level will be given 300 yuan and
department heads no more than 150 yuan.
The accommodation expense standard for each ordinary civil
servant has been more than doubled from the current 60 yuan to 150
yuan per day.
The ministry divided the conferences arranged by the central
governments into three categories, with each given allowances
ranging from 400 yuan per participant per day to 260 yuan.
"This is enough to cover meeting expenses," Liao said.
The ministry will launch a public bid to select several hotels
and restaurants in cities and provinces around the country as fixed
locations for meetings and business trips, said the report.
"We are keen on building a more transparent system and we
welcome public inspections," Liao said.
(Shanghai Daily December 8, 2006)