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Old plane reflects sound system

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-15 08:20

The presidential plane which crashed, killing Poland's President and other top leaders, was 26 years old. Poland could well afford a new plane. Why didn't it buyone, asks an article on the Beijing News. Excerpts:

After Poland's President Lech Kaczynski was killed in a plane crash, the media reported that the Tupolev-154 presidential plane had been used for 26 years and was overhauled last year. Why had the Polish government not replaced the presidential plane for such a long time?

Poland can certainly afford a new plane for its president. The Polish economy has seen sustained and rapid economic growth since Kaczynski's election in 2005. Compared to other European countries, Poland also weathered the global economic crisis well.

Poland has a sound financial supervision system to manage its public expenditures. There is an independent agency, the Supreme Supervision Institution, which is in charge of the government's expenses.

Even the president's expenditures are under strict legal supervision. President Kaczynski himself insisted on a frugal administration, which won him the reputation of "the president of the poor".

The old presidential airplane reflects the Polish government's philosophy of not serving the self-interest of its officials, as well as a sound national financial supervision system. That is worth learning from.

(China Daily 04/15/2010 page9)