Oversight of approval process

An essential part of government authority in China lies in the long lists and complicated procedures for matters subject to examination and approval. A logical and necessary component of government reforms is streamlining those lists and procedures. But like reforms in any other field, vested interests will not give up without a fight.

Premier Li Keqiang's alert about the "obsession with examination and approval" hit the right note because it is a clear and present threat to ongoing reforms. The murky links between "intermediate organizations" and government agencies reveal a prevailing tendency to continue controlling and profiting from examination and approval procedures.

Since many matters previously subject to government scrutiny are now relegated to "third-party" institutions for professional and industry review and certification, many such "intermediate institutions" affiliated to or with close ties with government departments are the new overseers. The only difference is they operate in the name of non-governmental organizations and can charge more. Which is why many citizens and enterprises complain things have not become any less troublesome after the government divested itself of some of these matters.

If this becomes standard practice, it may reduce the new round of government reforms into self-deceiving bureaucratic posturing. Worse, it could provide a legal cover for the pursuit of illegal gains, and provide a new safe haven for corruption.

The rampancy and prevalence of corruption in public offices have proven that public power in this country is as vulnerable to abuse as anywhere else. It should now be obvious to all that individual greed and departmental interests inside the government have combined to present a substantial threat to both government credibility and national interests.

Given the public resources at their disposal, however, it is particularly difficult to make Chinese government agencies surrender true authority to society; especially as such authority promises opportunities for personal profit.

From organizational and technical perspectives, divesting government offices from examination and approval is simple. Yet it is a greater challenge to wean them from the illicit benefits arising from them. Local government offices are notorious for inventing countermeasures to dodge regulatory moves.

Priority No 1 at this point, therefore, is to sort out the connections between government offices and the non-administrative institutions affiliated to them, enhance oversight, and make sure the reform is carried out as intended.