Last Friday, a Shanghai Securities News report depicted
the investigation of Chen Shijie, a former Party chief of the
municipal construction committee, who faces accusation of nepotism
after abusing his position to help his son make illicit profits
from construction projects.?
Chen's indictment followed that of Yin Guoyuan, former deputy
director of the Shanghai housing, land and resources administrative
bureau, who endured the same fate last month.
?
Their twin collapse blew the roof off a warren of connections
between former government officials who entered real estate
development after leaving public service, Takungpao
observed in its comment page on Tuesday.
The article pointed the finger at officials who followed Chen's
path, in becoming the president of Shanghai Real Estate Industry
Association after his retirement as Party chief of the municipal
construction committee.
This phenomenon, known as a "revolving door" factor among public
administration ethics experts, concerns the transfer of experienced
public sector executives towards the?private sector or vice
versa.?
These officials used insider knowledge to assist developers in
avoiding cumbersome administrative procedures when obtaining
planning permission, while taking a cut of any profits made from
these deals.?
To every public servant seeking private employment, his
administrative power should have a period of validity. In these
jobs, they should obey rules as expected while ensuring their
duties are carried out in a legal manner under public supervision.
Once they have left government posts, they should wholly detach
themselves from any position where their former contacts could
benefit from their experience.
Land corruption in Shanghai has sounded the alarm on the abuses
of power and this will hopefully enable the dismantling of the
"revolving door" phenomenon.
Foreign countries have set up mechanisms to restrict former
officials from using the "revolving door" to their advantage. For
example, the United States passed the Ethics in Government Act
(1978) following President Nixon's resignation during the Watergate
scandal. It indicates that former government officials could not
act as private sector lobbyists on any issues related to their
former careers. Punishment is harsh with sentences ranging from one
year to life sentences depending on the position involved and the
seriousness of the solicitations.
However, China has no such options. Land administration
officials are widely courted by developers for their business
contacts, some even taking in six-figure salaries for providing
aid. Chen Shijie, Yin Guoyuan and others are prime targets for
developers seeking to corner a larger share of the
market.?
(China.org.cn by Li Shen, April 19, 2007)