Frugal wining and dining

The lavish banquets funded by public coffers that have been brought to public awareness lately indicate the new leadership's vowed battle against extravagance, a long-running official malpractice, and its renewed advocacy of frugality will not be easy.

Wining and dining on public funds has become more prevalent across the country as Spring Festival approaches, a traditional time for dinner parties among government and State-owned enterprise employees, and a time for lower-ranking officials to treat superiors to dinner as a way of nurturing closer relations.

In spite of explicit government regulations banning the practice, investigations have found people have ways of getting around them and continue to squander taxpayers' money. At a recent meeting, Wang Rulin, Party chief of northeastern Jilin province, openly lashed out at such extravagance, saying "a dinner for certain leading officials costs more than 10,000 yuan ($1,605), although some people still have difficulties getting sufficient food". Wang was not commenting on an isolated banquet.