The nation's highest anti-corruption body yesterday adopted a new set of guidelines aimed at the finance industry. They were passed by the powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in a plenary session during which President Jiang Zemin stressed the leadership's determination to wipe out corruption and pledged severe punishments for any officials who took bribes. He said progress had been made in the past year but insisted cadres continue to keep strict controls on their spending. Mr Jiang said they should avoid extravagance because comfort and luxury bred corruption. He also warned cadres to keep in close contact with the public, saying no campaigns against corruption could succeed without public support. His warning signalled the leadership's concern over the damage caused by several high-profile corruption cases in the past three years. Although former Beijing Communist Party secretary Chen Xitong was referred for criminal investigation last year, prosecutors have not yet set a trial date. Xinhua said the commission had also laid down rules for cadres in managing their finances. All non-financial units have been barred from engaging in financial businesses and companies have been banned from running unauthorised businesses through clandestine accounts. The new rules also state that all government departments must keep strict accounts of income and expenditure. In addition, they order a reform of the mainland's accounting system under which individual accountants will be assigned to state-owned enterprises. Any accountants found violating government regulations will be disqualified and face criminal charges. The rules also address the problem of corruption in the building industry, requiring open tenders for construction projects.
