This is the fourth report carried in the Special Column, "Intensifying Anti-Corruption Efforts", which reads in full as follows:

This reporter has learned from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision that in 1999 the various regions and departments continued to stress and step up the work of rectifying the unhealthy tendencies in departments and trades, strengthened leadership, carried out the responsibility system and persisted in doing the work of rectification and construction simultaneously, as a result, new achievements have been gained in the effort to grasp main and typical examples and fountainheads, in the rectification of special cases and in the construction of the work-style of trades.

Actual effect has been gained in the nation's three key points for improvement, namely reducing farmers' burden, lightening enterprises' load and overcoming the unhealthy tendencies in the purchase and marketing of medicines. According to statistics provided by various localities at the end of October last year, the financial burden on farmers, which was valued at 9.94 billion yuan, was further reduced in 1999, of which, the irrational electric charge burden worth 4.92 billion yuan was reduced through tackling special cases; farmers' financial burden worth 2.235 billion yuan can be reduced annually through streamlining township administrative structure and cutting down the number of unofficial personnel and village and group subsidized cadres by 830,000 people. 6,597 cases of increasing farmers' burden in violation of law and discipline were investigated and dealt with, 3,538 people holding direct responsibility and leaders at the next higher level were investigated and affixed responsibility. The work of reducing enterprises' burden has further developed. A total of 5.010 charged items involving a value of 31.7 billion yuan were declared abolished or lowered in 1999. After arbitrary price mark-up and indiscriminate charge outside electric charge were abolished nationwide, this move can help reduce the subscribers' electric charge burden by 36.0 billion yuan. 8,022 cases concerning encroaching upon enterprises' legal rights and interests and increasing burden on them have been investigated and dealt with, 833 responsible persons were given Party and administrative disciplinary penalty, the 110 illegal medicine markets arbitrarily set up in various localities have all been banned and closed. Enterprises engaging in medicine production and operation have been screened and rectified, a total of 7,594 units engaging in medicine production and management without certificates or licenses or with incomplete certificates and licenses have been banned, 8,745 cases in regard to the purchase and marketing of medicines in violation of law and discipline have been investigated and dealt with, fake and shoddy medicines worth 0.395 billion yuan have been sealed up and destroyed.

The achievements scored in the work of rectifying the "three arbitrary practices" (arbitrary charge, indiscriminate establishment of check-posts and arbitrary imposition of fines) on highways and arbitrary charge in middle and primary schools have been further consolidated, without the emergence of any major rebound. On the basis of consolidating the achievements that ensure there is basically no (three arbitrary practices) along national and provincial highways as a result of the effort to rectify the "three arbitrary practices" on highways, active efforts have been made to overcome the "three arbitrary practices" existing on county and township highways and waterways of inland navigation. To meet the requirements of transportation and vehicle toll reform, various localities have carried out improvement and rectification of toll stations and checkpoints along various types of roads and bridges, and demolished 944 highway (waterway) stations and checkpoints. Through rectification of special items, burden of expenses worth 0.746 billion yuan on middle and primary school students were further lightened last year. 9,295 cases regarding arbitrary charge on middle and primary school students were investigated and dealt with in various localities, with the money charged in violation of regulations amounting to 0.269 billion yuan.

Democratic appraisal of the tendencies of trades has continued to develop in depth, and construction of the work-style of trades has been further strengthened. In some places, key trades were designated for appraisal within the scope of the province concerned and united actions were taken from top to bottom level; in some localities, appraisals started first in departments above the level of county bureaus and then extended to grassroots stations, centers, neighborhoods and communities, and from appraisal of the work-style of trades to the supervision over the honest and industrious administration of the government business department; the activity of "double appraisals" of the best and worst units in relation to the work of serving the economy and establishing a new style of trades is carried out in other localities. Various regions and departments have successively adopted "110 social united action", (hot line) and other measures to convenience and benefit the people, actively doing practical work to help the masses exclude their difficulties and dispel their anxiety, further improved the image of trades, and cement closer ties between the Party and government on the one hand and the masses of the people on the other hand.