A Beijing magazine criticises a serious lack of accountability after graft expose
More than two-thirds of the central and provincial government departments exposed for corruption in recent top-level investigations have yet to take responsibility for their wrongdoings, a leading mainland publication reported.
The central government should step up its efforts to institutionalise the accountability system and strengthen the process of holding senior officials to account, the China News Weekly, a Beijing-based progressive magazine, urged in its latest edition.
Only 12 out of 41 central government units, and five out of 21 provincial ones have taken steps to address issues ranging from fraud to embezzlement, following anti-corruption revelations by the State Audit Office.
'It reveals a serious lack of accountability in the current political system,' the magazine said in an article. 'The same old problems that go back for years keep popping up.'
The State Audit Office has been conducting the nationwide investigation since 1996, but not until this year did it make public its report - including the names of departments involved in economic irregularities.
Official media hailed the report's publication as a significant step by the new leadership of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to improve government transparency.
