From Chinese Press

Embroiled in deep debt

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-09 07:55

A township government in Anhui province owes a self-employed man 100,000 yuan for the cigarettes and wines it bought from him. This exposes some hidden rules of the bureaucracy, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

A township government in Anhui province pays 1,000 yuan a year for the cigarettes and wines it has purchased from a self-employed man. Since the total local government owes 100,000 yuan, it will need 100 years to pay off the debt.

Even when a financial crisis cripples some local governments their officials continue to borrow money or buy goods on loan for personal use. Such irresponsible actions raise local governments' debts and deepen the crisis.

This sorry state of affairs is created because officials' achievements determine their performance, and the yardstick to measure it doesn't include their financial records.

Therefore, the liabilities of officials should be taken into account before they are promoted.

(China Daily 08/09/2010 page9)