Government should focus more on citizen approval

The people should have a bigger say in government official promotion, and the central government should make new criteria for the evaluation and promotion of officials, says an article of China Business News. Excerpt:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China resolved to stop using the gross domestic product as the main criterion to evaluate local officials' performance during their office term.

This will make a big change in bureaucratic culture as well as in how the government functions. The fast economic growth of a place has been one of the most important testimonies to local officials' performance and ability.

Superior officials have the power to promote subordinated officials.

So, pleasing senior officials and realizing local GDP growth through whatever means within one's office term are the best ways for local officials to be promoted fast, regardless of the opinions of local citizens, the environmental cost or local government debt.

Shifting focus from GDP growth is the first step to transforming the government function to a public service provider.

There should also be a more scientific system to evaluate the officials' performance. Residents, as the recipients of government service, deserve a bigger say in deciding which officials have fulfilled their responsibilities well. The superior officials, who may still reserve the power to promote officials, should pay more attention to the people's opinions.

The promotion and evaluation of officials must be transparent to the public.