Opening officials' personal information to the public is vital
for effective supervision, says an editorial in Beijing
News. An excerpt follows:
According to Xiaoxiang Morning Post, the provincial
government of Hunan will register and publicize spouses' and
children's employment information for officials above county level.
A top official said that the measure is being taken to curb
corruption.
Though the report did not disclose details, the measure merits
applause. Transparency is the best way to curb corruption and
notification is a vital step in supervision. This measure can form
the foundation of a system publicizing officials' property
ownership.
Hunan is not alone in this effort. In 2003, Hainan implemented a
similar rule requiring officials to register their spouses' and
children's employment information. As early as 1995 the central
government required officials above the county level to report
their income. In 2000 the central government announced the system
of pre-appointment public announcement to solicit comments.
These regulations lead to a more transparent supervisory system.
But some loopholes remain. For example, inspection departments are
not financially independent so their monitoring of higher officials
may be ineffective. Also the internal reporting system cannot
guarantee the quality of information since the officials may not
report all their property holdings.
The action taken by Hunan Province has aroused wide attention
because the notification system has opened a channel for
supervision and legal restriction based on open information. The
maximum amount of information should be disclosed to the
public.
The public notification system is a step up from the previous
reporting system. But its effectiveness depends on the mode and
scope of the disclosure.
(China Daily April 2, 2007)