Pay rises for China's civil servants 'good move to fight corruption'
Though yet to be officially confirmed, media with ties to government report that mainland public servants will gain major increases soon
News of a possible pay rise for mainland civil servants has put long-called-for official remuneration reforms back in the limelight amid a national anti-graft campaign and changes to civil service pensions.
The Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po reported yesterday that civil servants, from the most junior staff to the president and premier, would likely see their pay as much as double soon, citing a central government directive issued last Monday.
Analysts said the pay rise was a welcomed move as the "bizarrely low" nominal salaries did nothing to prevent corruption in the civil service.
Officials were not available to confirm the report yesterday, but the news was carried by mainland online news outlets and state media microblogs.
Citing a State Council directive from January 12, the reports said civil service pay rises would be backdated to October 1.
The maximum basic monthly salary for national leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, would jump from 7,020 yuan to 11,385 yuan (HK$8,860 to HK$14,470).