Politburo members discuss reforms in structure, governing

Communist Party leaders began to finalise the massive restructuring plan for the government and key personnel decisions at a Politburo meeting yesterday before the National People's Congress rubber-stamps them at its annual meeting next month.

Two proposals - one on deepening reforms in governance and the other on the structural reform of the State Council - were discussed at yesterday's Politburo meeting, which was chaired by President and party chief Hu Jintao, according to Xinhua.

The party should 'unswervingly push forward the administrative reforms and institutional reforms' as indispensable components of deeper and meaningful economic reform, the Xinhua report said.

The Politburo members were also thrashing out the final makeup and policy roles of Premier Wen Jiabao's cabinet, the makeup of which will officially be decided at the NPC meeting, which starts on March 5.

A plenary meeting of elite party leaders would be held from Monday to Wednesday to settle the reform proposals and personnel decisions.

It will be only the second time for all new Central Committee members to convene after they were appointed at the party's 17th National Congress in October.

Beijing is believed to be mulling over plans to streamline its bureaucracy by merging ministerial-level agencies with similar responsibilities into 'super ministries' to help them respond quickly to shifting economic and social demands.