China Issues Restrictions Against Extravagant Office Buildings

As China continues its crackdown on corruption in various levels of the government, the central government has laid down a regulation restricting officials in poverty-stricken areas from having extravagant office buildings.

In the announcement made by Hong Tianyun, deputy director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the regulation would prevent government officials from having opulent offices that do not reflect the impoverished state of their provinces.

The agency hopes that with the implementation of the restriction, a high standard of behavior for those seated in the government would be promoted.

"It is also aimed at making sure officials in those counties devote more of their energy and finances to poverty relief efforts," said Hong.

Recent news have brought to light some officials building lavish offices in spite of their poverty-stricken state.

A report on China Central Television said that the town of Fangxian in Hubei spent more than one-fifth of their annual revenue to build an office building. The cost spent was about 100 million yuan ($16 million).

Meanwhile, the town of Pengyang in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region spent almost the same amount--almost half of the year's revenues--to construct a new building.

More than 592 towns in China have been labeled as poverty-stricken and officials from these areas have been forbidden to construct lavish projects and architecture. Holding grand parties and celebrations are not allowed as well under the new regulation.

In light of these extravagant constructions, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have also laid out the required office sizes of Chinese ministers and governors.

Under the regulation, ministers and provincial governors should have an office not more than 54 square meters in size. Meanwhile, deputies are required to have a maximum office size of 42 square meters only.