China unveils cabinet reshuffle plan

Balance among government, market, society

The cabinet reorganization plan aims to build an efficient and law-based government with clear division of power, reasonable distribution of labor, and well-defined responsibility, Ma told lawmakers.

"Departments of the State Council are now focusing too much on micro issues. We should attend to our duties and must not meddle in what is not in our business," the report said.

The reform plan came amid public calls to boost government transparency and efficiency in government operations.

While delivering his last government work report on Tuesday to China's top legislature, Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged the transformation of government functions has not been fully carried out with some government departments prone to corruption, saying the central government is "keenly aware that we still face many difficulties and problems" in the economic and social development.

Wen vowed to continue transforming government functions, separate government administration from the management of enterprises, state assets, public institutions and social organizations to build a "well-structured, clean, efficient and service-oriented government".

In the plan, the State Council pledged to ensure the market's fundamental role in allocating resources and let social organizations play a better role in managing social issues.

In this regard, the restructuring plan says that the government will:

-- cut, reduce or simplify the review and approval of investment projects to minimize the inconvenience and high costs involved when enterprises and individuals are trying to obtain the services they require and boost their independence to start a business or make an investment;

-- separate industrial associations and chambers of commerce from administrative departments, and introduce a competitive mechanism with multiple associations to the same industry to boost their independence and vitality;

-- integrate identical or similar institutional functions into a sole government department, such as the registry of housing, forest, grassland and land, which currently belongs to different government agencies;

-- break industrial monopoly and administrative hurdles that hamper the circulation of goods and service, and maintain an open and unified domestic market to ensure fairness and orderly competition;

-- increase the government procurement of services and give fair treatment to social organizations in supplying medical care, health, education, culture and community services.