Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi on Tuesday asked China's food and drug
authorities to improve anti-graft measures and remove
administrative loopholes to repair their battered image.
"We urgently need to reform the system to remove loopholes in
food and drug administration and set up an effective mechanism for
clean governance," Wu told a meeting of the State Food and Drug
Administration (SFDA).
Wu ordered the SFDA to focus on five tasks this year, centering
around regulating the use of executive power:
-- reform the food and drug approval mechanism to make sure that
the processes of accepting, appraising and approving new drug
applications are carried out separately; the system of job
responsibility and accountability should be enhanced;
-- cut government red tape, including the process of approving
new drugs and medical equipment;
-- improve supervision and restrictions on administrative
power;
-- strengthen anti-graft measures;
-- improve capacity building of leaders and officials.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last month ordered a thorough
investigation into allegations of corruption against Zheng Xiaoyu,
former head of the SFDA.
Although details of Zheng's case have yet to be made public, the
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese
Communist Party said earlier that "Zheng neglected his duty to
supervise the drug market, abused the administration's drug
approval authority by taking bribes and turned a blind eye to
malpractice by relatives and subordinate officials."
Wu said corruption cases like Zheng's were in the minority and
China's food and drug administrative team, in general, was
"good".
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2007)