State Council issues rules to guide its work -- china.org.cn

The State Council published regulations on Tuesday to guide its employees' work.

All work should follow the principles of scientific and democratic decision-making, administration in accordance with the law, transparency, improving supervisory systems and integrity, according to the regulations.

The regulations run to about 6,500 characters in 11 chapters.

They cover general principles, employee responsibilities, the full practice of administrative functions, the implementation of scientific and democratic decision-making, conducting administrative work in accordance with the law, stepping up transparency in government affairs, the improvement of supervisory systems, upholding integrity, the meeting system, the examination and approval of government documents and discipline and work styles.

According to Article 16, the State Council and all its departments should improve the decision-making mechanism, absorbing the opinions of the public and experts in making decisions.

According to article 27, besides those affairs and policies which should be kept confidential, all the decisions made by the plenary sessions and regular meetings of the State Council and all the policies issued by the State Council, should be released to the public.

All the affairs that involve the immediate interests of people should be published accurately in due course through government websites, communiques and press conferences, or through newspapers, radio and television broadcasts. All the other affairs which the State Council requires to be released to the public should follow the same method of release.

According to Article 29, the State Council has to conscientiously receive supervision from the National People's Congress (NPC) and its standing committee, and should report to its work to the NPC and answer its inquiries. It should also receive democratic supervision from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and listen to its opinions and suggestions.

The State Council should accept monitoring of media and people, and all the departments should take initiative to deal with major problems reflected through news reporting and other channels, and report to the State Council about process of solving the problems, the Article 32 says.

The State Council and all its departments should pay close attention to complaint letters and visits of people, and smooth the channel for receiving letters and visits from people. Senior officials of the State Council and the department chiefs should read and give opinions on letters about important issues, the Article 33 says.

In the chapter concerning upholding integrity, the regulations hold that the State Council and its departments should strictly follow the financial and economic disciplines, regulate receptions on government expenses, prohibit gift-giving and banqueting with public funds. In addition, employees of the State Council should not receive gifts and invitations for dinner from local governments and their departments.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2008)