Corruption prevention pilot program advances steadily in Sichuan Province

Sichuan Province was selected by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection as one of the five provinces to pilot a corruption prevention program. On August 30, Sichuan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection held a provincial working conference on corruption prevention, further elaborated the instructions and arranged detailed tasks. After the conference, both leading organs and government department selected for the pilot program paid great attention to the work, set up leading groups, get staff ready and have worked out working plans for the pilot program. Generally speaking, the pilot program progresses steadily and shows following features:

First, Leaderships attach great attention to the pilot program. Following the instructions and arrangements of the working conference on corruption prevention, most of leading organs and government departments selected for the pilot program set up leading groups and assigned tasks to specific divisions and staff.

Leaders of some cities (prefectures) like Party secretaries of Dazhou City and Liangshan Yi Prefecture took it as a serious task and made important speeches at city (prefecture) working conference on corruption prevention. To date, cities (prefectures) and departments that have set up leading groups and appointed liaison officers include: Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang, Nanchong, Neijiang, Leshan, Zigong, Ya an, Suining, Dazhou, Bazhong, Guang an, Ziyang, Meishan, Paizhihua, Guangyuan, Luzhou, A ba, Liangshan and General Office of Provincial Government, Provincial Supreme People s Court, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Commission for State Asset Management, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Judicial Department, Provincial Forestry Department, Provincial Civil Affairs Department, Provincial Department of Land Resources, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Construction Department, Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Provincial Bureau of Geology for Nuclear Industry, Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Provincial Geological Survey Bureau and Relocation Office of the Three Gorges Project directly under the Provincial Government.

Cities (prefectures) and departments that have held working conferences or Party committee (Party organization) conferences on corruption prevention to study on how to push forard the program include: Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang, Neijiang, Leshan, Zigong, Bazhong, Guangyuan, Ziyang, Nanchong, Ya an, Guang an, Dazhou, Luzhou, A ba, Provincial Supreme People s Court, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Civil Affairs Department, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Health Department, Provincial Department of Land Resources, Provincial Bureau of Geology and mineral Resources, Provincial Geological Survey Bureau and Provincial Administration of Prison.

Second, local governments responded quickly. No long after the working plan on corruption prevention was releases, most of cities (prefectures) and departments worked out implementing measures. To date, following cities (prefectures) and departments have submitted their preliminsary plans to the Provincial office for the pilot program: Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang, Neijiang, Leshan, Zigong, Ya an, Suining, Bazhong, Guang an, Ziyang, Guangyuan, Meishan, Luzhou, Dazhou, A ba, Liangshan and Provincial Organizational Department, Provincial People s Court, General Office of Provincial Government, Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Commission for State Asset Management, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Judicial Department, Provincial Department of Water Resources, Provincial Civil Affairs Department, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Health Department, Provincial Construction Department, Provincial Department of Land Resources, Provincial Ethnic Affairs Commission, Provincial Drug Supervision Bureau, Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Provincial Geological Survey Bureau, Provincial Bureau of Geology for Nuclear Industry and Provincial Seismological Bureau.

Third, various projects have been launched in different places. Some cities (prefectures) and provincial-level departments have launched their own pilot projects except for that assigned by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Deyang City conducted 7 more pilot project including reform of administrative approval system to ensure approval to be handled jointly by the relevant departments.

Dazhou City has conducted 26 more pilot projects. Operative pilot projects with detailed work plans include: "let more grassroots officials to attend open selection for Party secretaries of townships" and "work out complex assessment and evaluation measures for county, city and district-level Party and government officials under the guidance of Scientific Outlook on Development" launched by Provincial Organizational Department, "establish special rural funding supervision and management system, Government Business Card system and improve government procurement system" launched by the Provincial Department of Finance, "system to ensure administrative approvals to be handled jointly by the relevant departments" launched by Chengdu City, "punishment mechanism on the breaking of faith by intermediate service organizations" jointly launched by Zigong, Mianyang cities and Provincial Judicial Department and Provincial Civil Affairs Department, "set up neighborhoods discipline inspection commissions in the county, city or district" launched by cities of Chengdu, Leshan, Suining and Luzhou, Dispatch discipline inspection teams to departments sorted by industries launched by Cheung, Mianyang and Suining cities, establish mechanism of supervision by public opinion to combat corruption and build clean government conducted by Mianyang City, measures to strengthen supervision and management of government invested programs launched by Bazhong City, establish government invested program publicity system and accountability system and compile and formulate market transaction catalogue for public resources and operation standards by Provincial Development and Reform Commission, work out effective measures to prevent and control private coffers launched by Chengdu, Deyang cities and Provincial Department of Finance, carry out regulation for case process management by Provincial People s Court and publicize official s on-duty expenditure within the department launched by Ziyang City.

General Office of the Provincial Government, Provincial Commission for State Asset Management, Provincial Civil Affairs Department, Provincial Department of Land Resources and Chengdu, Zigong, Ya an, Deyang, Mianyang, Neijiang Cities have worked out detailed schedule in the implementing measures.

Four, High enthusiasm and passion of local governments and department are paid to carry out the pilot programs. 12 cities (prefectures) and provincial-level departments that have been assigned tasks were very active in carrying out the pilot program. The cities and departments that haven t give any tasks also launched several pilot projects to combat and prevent corruption.

Cities (prefectures) and departments include Bazhong, Guang an, Ziyang, Guangyuan, Dazhou cities and Provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee, Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Provincial Drug Supervision Bureau and Provincial Seismological Bureau.34 pilot projects have been carried out by governments and departments at all levels.

Fifth, preliminary progress has been made in the pilot program of corruption prevention in the province. For example, Provincial Organizational Department has establish a system to ensure more cadres can participate in open selection of township Party secretaries; Provincial People s Court has submitted the Regulation for case process management to superior authority for approval; dispatch discipline inspection teams to organizations sorted by industries, administrative approvals be handled jointly by relevant departments and strengthen supervision and management of government invested programs proposed by Chengdu, Deyang and Bazhong cities respectively have entered a substantial stage.