Officials' inertia intolerable

In a recent meeting with officials from three northeastern provinces, Premier Li Keqiang once again criticized the low efficiency of some officials and vowed to put an accountability system in place.

This is the third time that Li has openly lashed out at the inertia of officials. At a February State Council meeting and in his Government Work Report delivered to the full session of the National People's Congress, Li also vowed to expose officials with a passive attitude toward their work.

Low efficiency and inertia, a result of the country's incomplete fight against corruption, will obstruct the government's efforts to deepen reforms, seriously affect the efficiency of reforms and damage its credibility.

In the context of the country's intensifying efforts to punish officials for corruption and wrongdoings, some grassroots officials believe that doing their jobs means the possibility of offending others or making mistakes. Such a perception has contributed to their lack of enthusiasm and led to a passive approach to their work.

At the same time, the fewer opportunities for grey income in the wake of the corruption crackdown has also discouraged some officials and caused them to develop an evasive attitude to work.

Such an approach is a waste of the power and resources conferred on them by the country, and the consequences of such invisible "doing nothing" can be damaging.

The central leadership has made a resolution to push for comprehensive and deepened reforms in which officials at various levels will have to play a central role.

The punishments meted out to some government employees for "idleness" shows a positive change in the authorities' attitude toward how to assess officials' performance and their resolve to advance reform and the anti-corruption campaign.

The above is an abridgement of a China Youth Daily article on Wednesday.