Public expects decline in '3 public consumptions'

Key Words: 3 public consumptions; China's central government; extravagance

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Many local governments in China have recently pledged “zero growth” in their spending on official receptions, vehicles, and overseas trips this year. However, due to the staggering amount of government spending in the three fields, it is “decline” rather than “zero growth” that can ease widespread public discontent.

The three fields have long had a high incidence of corruption due to mismanagement and lack of effective supervision. Many major cases have proved that corruption in the three fields is just the beginning of many officials’ depravation.

China’s central government departments made public their spending on official receptions, vehicles, and overseas trips for the first time in 2011 in order to intensify anti-corruption efforts and establish an orderly, well-functioning, fair and transparent, clean and efficient administrative system. Local governments then followed suit, and some pledged “zero growth.”

With the social progress, people’s awareness of democracy and the rule of law has naturally increased. They are expecting “negative growth” rather than just “zero growth” in government spending on official receptions, vehicles, and overseas trips. In fact, it is not hard to cut government spending in the three fields. The Wenzhou municipal government in Zhejiang province introduced the most detailed standards regarding official receptions last June, and its spending on official receptions dropped 25 percent in the second half of last year. The central government’s 2012 budget for expenditure in the three fields was 15 percent lower than that of 2011.

Cutting spending in the three fields is general trend

At present, the amount of the country’s government spending in the three fields remains massive, but the central government has introduced Eight Regulations and Six Bans to curb bureaucracy and extravagance, so as to further cut government spending in the three fields.

All Party and government agencies must make efforts to cut their spending on official receptions, vehicles, and overseas trips, practice thrift and combat extravagance, and earnestly implement the central government’s Eight Regulations and Six Bans to win back public trust.

Read the Chinese version: 三公经费：请交出一个“负增长”答案, source: Beijing News

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