China city officials to get $258,000 bonus for environmental gains
China city officials to get $258,000 bonus for environmental gains
mongabay.com
May 23, 2007
Shanxi Province in China will pay city government officials 2 million yuan ($258,000) each if they are able to pull their cities out of the ranking of China’s five most polluted cities, reports China state media. Cities that see their air quality improve 10 spots in the national ranking system, world reward city heads 2 million yuan ($258,000).
“Governmental officials in north China’s Shanxi Province now get a chance to become millionaires – not by following the old fashion way of taking bribes but through a new legal way of improving the local environment,” stated the state-run China Daily. “The awards are directed to individuals including the city and county governmental heads, environmental protection bureau officers and other relative officials. The money will be paid by the provincial financial department.”
Shanxi Province had 13 of the 30 most polluted cities in China in 2006.
The China Daily reports the bonuses are controversial.
“I am firmly against giving heavy awards to officials,” said Hua Xiaochen, director of Public Official System Research Center of the Ministry of Personnel, was quoted as saying. “First of all, heavy awards have no legal ground. Finishing the job is the responsibility for officials. Heavy awards are from government funds, and should get a ‘yes’ from taxpayers. Meanwhile, this is against the officials’ tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly.”
“Isn’t improving environment the natural responsibility for environmental protection departments? It’s just like educators should teach the students well. It’s natural for you to just finish your own job,” Liu Zhigang, a middle school teacher from Beijing, reportedly told the paper. “Even if they have done a good job, more than one million is too much to give out!”
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