5,143 officials punished for violating frugality code in March

BEIJING - A total of 5,143 Chinese officials were punished in March for violating frugality rules.

The officials were involved in 3,711 cases, said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission in a statement.

Among those punished were 70 officials at prefecture or equivalent level, and 513 at county or equivalent level.

Awarding an unauthorized allowance or bonus was the most common misdemeanor, followed by giving or accepting gifts and misuse of public funds for banquets.

A total of 16,750 officials involved in 11,819 cases were punished in the first three months of 2019, the CCDI statement said.

The CPC released its eight-point rules on frugality in late 2012 to reduce undesirable work practices.