Local govt assessment to weigh product quality

BEIJING - Upcoming performance assessments of China's provincial-level governments will be largely based on their quality control work in products, projects and services in a new scheme approved by the State Council, the Cabinet.

The assessment, to be carried out annually, will especially look at the meeting of targets and actual implementation of measures regarding quality control by local governments during a 12-month time span starting from July 1 each year, according to a statement posted on the central government's website on Thursday.

The scheme offers a four-level rating ranging from the best to the worst. In the case of any regional or systemic safety incident regarding product quality, the assessment will invariably downgrade to the lowest level, the statement said.

Meanwhile, it added, the related local government would need to report to the State Council a time plan for corrections within one month after the notification of the assessments, which will also be made public.

The results are intended to be an important reference when evaluating senior local officials, and could affect the tender of favorable policies by the central government.

The nation's top quality supervisory body, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, will lead the assessment scheme, uniting efforts from multiple ministries and experts in the field to carry out work, according to the statement.