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Officials' phone numbers published online

By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-19 10:16

The government of Kunming in the southwestern Yunnan province has published an updated telephone number list of its higher officials, allowing the public to contact them with complaints or feedback, local media reported Thursday.

The new list, containing the numbers of vice county-level officials, was published in local newspapers on Monday. The local government first released the list last February, but officials said the roster needed updating as many officials have changed their phone numbers and the department has had many personnel changes.

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The public can find the numbers on www. Kunming.cn or they can dial 0871-114 or 12580 to consult. According to the Kunming soft environment development office, an update was made last August after 859 numbers were made public in February. The list published this week includes 1212 numbers from 145 departments.

All published numbers must be answered from 9 am to 5 pm on working days. If the official is out, a back-up person should be arranged to answer the phone. No call will be refused, for any reason. Officials will monitor the phone usage and those employees who do not answer the phones or do not handle problems that are reported will be punished.

In April, a test was done, with the published phone numbers being dialed on three days: April 10, 13 and 14. In early May, the office announced that the connecting rate of the published telephone numbers was 96.3 percent.

Last year, 11 tests were made. Some 168 offices and departments did not answer the phone and 5 officials repeatedly did not answer the phone, and those people or departments were named and shamed.

Yang Fuquan, vice president of Yuan Academy of Social Sciences, said the practice of publishing numbers shows that the party and the government are becoming more open and more mature.

"Through public supervision, a strong trust in government could be established to increase the public's right to know and supervise," Yang said.

Qiu He, secretary of Kunming committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), initiated the policy.

Qiu is well-known in China for his unusual methods of administration. The media refers to him as a political "reformer", and also "an iron arm", which is a Chinese expression to describe a person, usually a leader or official, who is tough and determined. He became Kunming's top official after causing a huge reaction with his reforming actions when he was secretary of CPC committee of Suqian, Jiangsu province.

His decision to publish officials' telephone numbers received lots of media coverage. Some people applaud him for his courage and action, while some criticize him as audacious. Some even call him an authoritarian, saying that if one individual is doing and deciding everything, the society system is unhealthy.

Yang Hongshan, professor of public administration of Remin University of China, said the establishment of a feedback system helps reform the country and encourages more politicians to be open like Qiu.

"We need these kind of politicians who have a spirit of enterprise and who are always ready to explore the new way, especially when the system is not perfect. The decisions and bravery of leaders are very important to create a new phase", Yang said.

Healthy supervision from within the government, the media, and the public helps make better reforms, he said.