Harsh punishment for officials responsible for pollution

Gao Xuanmin, secretary general of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC is pictured at a press conference of the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Sept 17, 2015. [Photo/China.org.cn]

In a bid to better protect the environment, China has tightened related accountability measures for Party and government officials, Gao Xuanmin, secretary general of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC said.

"The kernel of the measures is harshness," said Gao at a press conference of the State Council Information Office in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

The new set of guidelines－released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council in August－elaborate on situations in which officials would be held accountable for pollution.

Gao said serious damage to the ecological environment is often directly related to Party and government officials' malfeasance and dereliction of duty.

That's why the measures are intended for Party and government officials at all levels, a key minority, and is focused on their power and responsibility.

The secretary general pointed out three breakthroughs of the measures.

The first is that it emphasizes that the Party and government should be held equally responsible. It is designed to get both Party committees and governments to share responsibility for promoting ecological progress, ensuring that power is matched with responsibility.

The second breakthrough is that lifelong accountability - those who make wrong policies without taking the ecological environment into consideration should be held accountable for life.

The third is double accountability - both those who have caused pollution and those who oversee and make regulations will be held accountable for it.

"So it will build a complete closed loop system, which shows zero tolerance toward damage to the ecological environment, and provide a strong guarantee for the construction of a beautiful China," Gao said, easing doubts that the measures are only pieces of paper which may not have actual effect upon policy.