Anti-graft project piloted in Guangdong

Guangdong will implement a property declaration system in three pilot areas, the provincial disciplinary authority said on Monday.

Guangzhou's Nansha district, Hengqin new area in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone and Shixing county in Shaoguan have been selected for a pilot project asking officials to disclose their assets beginning after Spring Festival, according to Wang Xingning, deputy secretary of Guangdong Provincial Party Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Lunar New Year falls on Feb 10 this year.

"How the officials will report their assets and how many officials have to do so is still being studied," Wang told reporters on Monday.

"Government departments are busy studying details and introducing rules and regulations for the pilot project, which is expected to play a big part in curbing corruption in the southern province," he said.

Wang urged local anti-graft bodies and related departments to carefully study and introduce effective and concrete anti-corruption measures suited to the conditions in their areas.

Zheng Zhentao, a deputy to the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, said 526 deputies of township level or above, and Party and government officials in Shiying will be asked to disclose their assets.

"The assets that have to be disclosed include the officials' salaries, bonuses, subsidies, other legal income, houses, cars and investments," said Zheng, who is also Party chief of Shaoguan, which administers Shixing county in northern Guangdong.

"But the officials' data will initially be on the government intranet for internal enquiries," Zheng said in Guangzhou during the annual session of Guangdong Provincial People's Congress on Sunday.