Guangdong officials to declare assets in pilot scheme
Guangdong first region to make cadres declare what they own, but analysts doubt government's ability to make it a success
Guangdong's top graft-buster has vowed that the province will be the first regional government to implement an assets declaration scheme for party cadres, but pundits question whether the oversight is in place to make the scheme effective.
The announcement of the pilot scheme comes after media reports alleging that the families of Vice-President Xi Jinping and Premier Wen Jiabao own billions of yuan worth of assets. The reports drew attention to wealthy party cadres.
Guangdong's party disciplinary chief, Huang Xianyao , told the Nanfang Daily in an interview published yesterday that the province would study anti-corruption efforts in Hong Kong, Macau and foreign countries. The Caixin Magazine website said the pilot scheme will be launched in Nansha district, Guangzhou, and Shixing county, Shaoguan .
Huang said the scheme would extend to the rest of the province from 2014.
"From next year, officials who are to be promoted will be required to declare their personal and family assets, provide information about any investments and private businesses, and say whether they have kept a clean record during their political careers," he said.
Dr Peng Peng , a senior researcher with the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, said the scheme indicated Guangdong authorities' will to make asset declarations a long-term practice. "However, there is no effective supervisory mechanism to verify whether officials declare their assets honestly," he said.