Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Officials favor future 'friends in court'
By Ni Tao |
January 7, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR some Chinese officials, doling out largesse at taxpayers' expense is an effective way to cultivate higher-level connections that may one day come in handy.
A prefectural government in southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recently stirred controversy for issuing a regulation that pledges to reward with lavish bonuses those who pass public servant exams and take posts above prefectural level.
The decision by the Gongcheng Yao Autonomous Prefecture was reported by the Nanguo Morning News on Sunday. "To galvanize local youths to increase their employment choices and raise their job profile, the prefectural government decides to grant a bonus to whoever succeeds in passing city-, regional- or national-level public servant exams," said the regulation that went into effect on January 1.
The general principle in determining bonuses is that the higher the exam level, the more the booty. Those who make it into the ranks of national public servants can enjoy the juiciest windfall - 60,000 yuan (US$8,787), while those who become public servants in government agencies of the autonomous region and Guilin City (a resort famous for its scenery) can receive 30,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan respectively.
Applicants, however, should meet several criteria, including holding a local household residence permit and having lived in the prefecture for more than 10 years.
This "good will" move, ostensibly an incentive to attract more young people to government posts, has been greeted with mixed responses.
Some locals welcomed it, but many others were outraged, saying the bonuses are neither fair nor relevant, the news report said.
My phone calls seeking comment from the prefectural government (the phone number was correct) rang unanswered yesterday and the day before. Apparently, local officials realized they had stirred up a hornets' nest and decided to lie low.
Nationwide, young people increasingly opt to become public servants because of handsome pay packages and job security, especially given the economic downturn and shortage of jobs for college graduates.
A record 1.05 million candidates sat the national public servant exam last year, according to State Administration of Civil Service.
Competition is fierce for government posts, with thousands of candidates sometimes vying for one plum position. No wonder public service jobs are dubbed "iron rice bowls."
Sharp questions can be raised as to whether it is a waste of public funds to reward people already blessed with "iron rice bowls."
There are other causes for alarm. The logic behind the regulation, it appears, is more about cultivating prospective well-connected officials and eventually approaching them for quid pro quo, whether in the form of preferential policy for the prefecture or funding of local projects.
It is for this reason that those who pass the highest level of exams, and hence will eventually accumulate more power, will usually become the darlings of shrewd local officials.
Conventional wisdom has it that national officials wield the most power, regional bosses less and city officials the least.
The higher one's position, the more resources he or she is believed capable of channeling to his or her hometowns. Hence the hierarchy of bonuses.
While some may loathe the practice as a scourge of corruption - not without reason - it should be acknowledged that this very practice has been around for quite a long time in many parts of the world - China is no exception - and it is not necessarily an insidious social malaise.
As the old adage goes, "a friend in court is better than a penny in purse," mandarins and the gentry classes in ancient China habitually made a point of showering their native places with generosity, for example, building bridges and fixing roads after they had obtained scholarly honors in the imperial exams.
This bond lingers to this day. One remarkable illustration: Beijing is often busier than usual on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, as there's an influx of regional officials attempting to curry favor with their powerful fellow-townsmen who are in a place to influence policies.
Such patronage is not restricted to China. In the US political system, it is known as pork barrel politics, referring to senators' or representatives' fighting for government spending for local projects that will benefit constituents in their home districts. Thus, the lawmaker hopes to win support and votes in the next election.
But if left unchecked, pork barrel politics (and funds "earmarked" for special districts) can become a hotbed for shady financing.
That is why the bonus initiative in Gongcheng Prefecture has sparked an outcry, for it creates too much room for malpractice and graft to creep in. And if national resources meant to benefit the entire populace are divided and diverted too much, then it's nothing but selfish provincialism.
Another reason that the move offended the public is that if too many young talents perceive public service as the sole work worth doing, then there will be a shortage of bright people entering other occupations and professions.
And for those in other professions who have made major contribution to local development, does this not fly in the face of equal treatment?
The case in Guangxi shows that in some areas the official thinking has yet to deviate from the dogma that "he who excels in studies can follow an official career."
A prefectural government in southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recently stirred controversy for issuing a regulation that pledges to reward with lavish bonuses those who pass public servant exams and take posts above prefectural level.
The decision by the Gongcheng Yao Autonomous Prefecture was reported by the Nanguo Morning News on Sunday. "To galvanize local youths to increase their employment choices and raise their job profile, the prefectural government decides to grant a bonus to whoever succeeds in passing city-, regional- or national-level public servant exams," said the regulation that went into effect on January 1.
The general principle in determining bonuses is that the higher the exam level, the more the booty. Those who make it into the ranks of national public servants can enjoy the juiciest windfall - 60,000 yuan (US$8,787), while those who become public servants in government agencies of the autonomous region and Guilin City (a resort famous for its scenery) can receive 30,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan respectively.
Applicants, however, should meet several criteria, including holding a local household residence permit and having lived in the prefecture for more than 10 years.
This "good will" move, ostensibly an incentive to attract more young people to government posts, has been greeted with mixed responses.
Some locals welcomed it, but many others were outraged, saying the bonuses are neither fair nor relevant, the news report said.
My phone calls seeking comment from the prefectural government (the phone number was correct) rang unanswered yesterday and the day before. Apparently, local officials realized they had stirred up a hornets' nest and decided to lie low.
Nationwide, young people increasingly opt to become public servants because of handsome pay packages and job security, especially given the economic downturn and shortage of jobs for college graduates.
A record 1.05 million candidates sat the national public servant exam last year, according to State Administration of Civil Service.
Competition is fierce for government posts, with thousands of candidates sometimes vying for one plum position. No wonder public service jobs are dubbed "iron rice bowls."
Sharp questions can be raised as to whether it is a waste of public funds to reward people already blessed with "iron rice bowls."
There are other causes for alarm. The logic behind the regulation, it appears, is more about cultivating prospective well-connected officials and eventually approaching them for quid pro quo, whether in the form of preferential policy for the prefecture or funding of local projects.
It is for this reason that those who pass the highest level of exams, and hence will eventually accumulate more power, will usually become the darlings of shrewd local officials.
Conventional wisdom has it that national officials wield the most power, regional bosses less and city officials the least.
The higher one's position, the more resources he or she is believed capable of channeling to his or her hometowns. Hence the hierarchy of bonuses.
While some may loathe the practice as a scourge of corruption - not without reason - it should be acknowledged that this very practice has been around for quite a long time in many parts of the world - China is no exception - and it is not necessarily an insidious social malaise.
As the old adage goes, "a friend in court is better than a penny in purse," mandarins and the gentry classes in ancient China habitually made a point of showering their native places with generosity, for example, building bridges and fixing roads after they had obtained scholarly honors in the imperial exams.
This bond lingers to this day. One remarkable illustration: Beijing is often busier than usual on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, as there's an influx of regional officials attempting to curry favor with their powerful fellow-townsmen who are in a place to influence policies.
Such patronage is not restricted to China. In the US political system, it is known as pork barrel politics, referring to senators' or representatives' fighting for government spending for local projects that will benefit constituents in their home districts. Thus, the lawmaker hopes to win support and votes in the next election.
But if left unchecked, pork barrel politics (and funds "earmarked" for special districts) can become a hotbed for shady financing.
That is why the bonus initiative in Gongcheng Prefecture has sparked an outcry, for it creates too much room for malpractice and graft to creep in. And if national resources meant to benefit the entire populace are divided and diverted too much, then it's nothing but selfish provincialism.
Another reason that the move offended the public is that if too many young talents perceive public service as the sole work worth doing, then there will be a shortage of bright people entering other occupations and professions.
And for those in other professions who have made major contribution to local development, does this not fly in the face of equal treatment?
The case in Guangxi shows that in some areas the official thinking has yet to deviate from the dogma that "he who excels in studies can follow an official career."
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