Reform civil servants' pay
China Daily  Updated: 2004-11-10 08:46

The civil servants' payment mechanism should be reformed to match their performances, said an article in Yanzhao Metropolis News. An excerpt follows:

Applications for civil servants have just finished. According to statistics by the Ministry of Personnel, about 540,000 applicants submitted their curriculum vitae via the Internet, and 310,000 are qualified to compete for the vacancies.

This year, the ratio of qualified applicants to vacant positions is 37-1.

The statistics, especially the high ratio of 37-1, display the attractions for such public service jobs.

Such posts are considered relatively stable. From 1996 to 2003, only 0.05 per cent of civil servants have been sacked annually, which is much lower than the job loss ratio in other sectors.

And civil servants enjoy good welfare, such as paid annual vacation, healthcare and housing subsidy.

Besides stability and welfare, some applicants are said to crave for potential interests brought about by special posts.

Civil servants are supported by taxes, and taxpayers' satisfaction is a criterion to evaluate their performances.

However, judged by current complaints on civil servants, it could be concluded that their performances are far from satisfactory.

Oversupply of applicants and dissatisfaction of the public urge the payment system to be reformed.

Taxpayers' suggestions on reform of civil servants' employment, quality and income are rarely taken into consideration.

More competition through oversupply of applicants may improve quality. However, to improve management and service quality, it still depends on a reasonable payment system.

Close