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In China, good governance, not exodus of civil servants, is the real concern

Civil servants are by no means among the top income earners on the mainland. But their relatively low salaries are compensated for by an array of perks, privileges and powers.

Civil servants are by no means among the top income earners on the mainland. But their relatively low salaries are compensated for by an array of perks, privileges and powers. A culture of corruption and lax discipline in one of the world's largest bureaucracies also mean there is much room for manoeuvring. That is why government jobs are still the most sought after. Those who quit in search of greener pastures remain in the minority.

Intriguingly, however, more mainland officials are now said to be looking for jobs in the private sector. According to a report by a Beijing-based recruitment website, more than 10,000 civil servants have submitted their resumes to potential employers since the Lunar New Year, the traditional season for job hunting. This is 30 per cent up from the same period last year.

The Chinese civil service suffered a brain drain some time ago when market reforms opened up new opportunities in the private sector. But the looming exodus is said to be fuelled by President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption drive.

The officials are not necessarily worried that they could become the next target of investigation. But their jobs are no longer as attractive as they used to be. Under the austerity measures imposed by the central government, the room for abuse has been substantially reduced. Career paths have also become less certain amid growing demands on performance, transparency and accountability.

The number of staff who will actually leave remains unclear. If the recruitment agency's report is any reference, the size does not seem alarming for a bureaucracy with millions of employees. Nonetheless, it is a matter of concern when public servants top the list of jobseekers.

According to media reports, the number of applicants for civil service jobs has already dropped, with 1.4 million hopefuls vying for 22,000 vacancies last year, down from 1.6 million people for 16,000 openings in 2010. The government should closely monitor whether the crackdown on corruption has had an adverse impact on recruitment. It should also take steps to ensure that officials switching to the private sector do not run into conflicts of interest. Civil service integrity is fundamental to good governance. If officials quit because corruption is no longer tolerated, their departures are not necessarily a bad thing. It is to be hoped that the crackdown can instil a cleaner governance culture in the long run.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Good governance is the real concern
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