Removing ghost employees

Punish those behind freeloaders

Past punishments for freeloading on government money have included confiscating the illegal income or an official warning. But these are too light to prevent more from following their examples. The low cost of breaking the law has caused the rampancy of placing phantom employees in government agencies and it is time to take harsher measures against those who break the rules.

Oriental Morning Post, Sept 24

Those who put unentitled names on the payrolls are to blame, but it is the directors of relevant government agencies that are ultimately responsible, because without their approval it would be impossible for the freeloaders to receive wages. Since several provinces have already found more than 100,000 freeloaders, why not dig deeper and find those directors who are responsible, too? They deserve to pay for the taxpayers' losses.

cnhubei.com, Sept 25

Legally speaking, such freeloaders in government agencies have illegally acquired public funds through fraud. Yet none of them gets sued. More detailed legislation and tougher law enforcement are needed, so that the freeloaders and those who allow them to freeload receive their just deserts.

nen.com.cn, Sept 25

China has introduced a market economy but its government employees are still managed in the old planned economy mode. Anybody that occupies a position within the government system will hold it almost for life, and his salary, welfare and other income supported by public funds will all be ensured, even if he actually is not in office. That's the root problem of freeloading in government and only complete reform will solve it.

Beijing Times, Sept 24

Many propose judicial intervention to end such freeloading, which is a necessary measure. But another possible measure is to reform the government system and make information about its staff transparent to society, so that people will be able to spot a "ghost worker". Such a practice is also a kind of corruption and we need to bring it into the sunshine to clear it out.

xiancn.com, Sept 25