Officials to be measured by anti-poverty work

High-ranking provincial officials will be held accountable for poverty alleviation in their areas under a set of new assessment measures that have been issued by the central government.

The five-year measures are aimed at effectively supervising and evaluating the performance of local authorities in 22 central and western assessment provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions each year, as they work to identify, support and reduce the number of poor.

Organized by the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the measures took effect on Feb 9 and introduced the concept of third-party evaluation from scientific research institutions and social organizations.