BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- Former senior economic planning official Liu Tienan who was sentenced to life imprisonment in December knew that his fall from grace resulted from abuse of administrative approval power.

Liu wrote and submitted "suggestions on corruption prevention in economic planning administrative approval" during the Party's investigation on him, hoping for leniency, the Procuratorial Daily under the Supreme People's Procuratorate reported on Monday.

According to the indictment, the former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission and former head of the National Energy Administration took huge bribes from four companies and several individuals to help with examination and approval of projects.

Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that corruption still plagues the government in some sectors, largely because "a minority of officials have so much power to give approvals and mete out benefits."

The Chinese government will devolve some powers to lower levels in order to reduce scope for officials bargaining for benefits, Li said at the third meeting on clean governance.

Li proposed that the central and local government make lists of those who have certain powers and their responsibilities.

Streamlining administrative procedures and limiting misuse of power is a major area of reform in 2015 as China's campaign against corruption continues.

China will carry out deeper and wider reform in its administrative approval system to stimulate market vitality and create a better environment for fair competition.

Balance of the roles of the government and the market should be sought, said Kuang Xianming, director of the research center for economy under the China Institute For Reform and Development.