Environmental officials reward?

Can great rewards be given to officials who perform well in their responsibilities? This question is fiercely controversial in China (China) in the wake of the Linping city government, Shanxi province, which awards up to 2 million yuan (US $ 258,000) to officials who can improve it. environmental situation.

Linfen is one of the five most polluted cities in China for coal mining. Polluted so that parents do not dare to buy white clothes for their children because they will turn gray immediately after a round of walking in the park.

The award has two levels: 2 million yuan if the air quality in Linfen is increased to ten places in the national rankings, 1 million yuan if it is to get Lam Phan out of the top five most dirty cities .

Persons eligible to participate in this ' competition ' are city, district leaders, environmental protection officials or other relevant officials. Money will be exported from the local treasury.

The prize was immediately noticed by all Chinese people and they were stated in newspapers and online with very different opinions. According to the provincial governor of Son Tay Vu Huu Tuan, making the environment clean is a very difficult task: ' They will be threatened by life to touch the business interests of many people. I know someone was beaten. So I think hanging a big prize is necessary '. The effect is clear that local officials are very active in bringing working groups to inspect chimneys and shut down factories.

Lam Part is classified as ' the dirtiest city ' in China continuously from 2003 to 2005 (Photo: NDNB)

But not everyone agrees with this approach."There is no legal basis to reward so much," said the director of the Center for System Research at the Ministry of Civil Affairs . Completing the mission is the responsibility of the official. Besides, the prize money comes from the national treasury, so it must be approved by the taxpayer. '

What do ' taxpayers ' think? Mr. Wei Ai Quoc, a citizen who inhaled coal dust in Linfen for more than 60 years, said that 'if they can make the environment clean, even reward 20 million yuan'.

YEW