With the central government's formal ratification of the reform plan for the government bodies of the Shanghai Municipal Government in October 2008, the curtain on a new round of local government body reforms was lifted.

At present, a new round of nationwide local government body reforms has already entered the final stage of approval and implementation.

As of January 20, government body reform plans of 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Henan, Ningxia, Yunnan and Jilin, have been ratified and will be publicized soon. Other local governments are submitting reform plans of government bodies to the central government.

The four major tasks for China's fifth round of local government body reforms since reform and opening-up are: introducing functional changes, optimizing structures, reinforcing responsibilities and tightening the control on governmental structuring.

The 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that obtained central government approval are actively exploring and implementing the large department system and enhancing efforts to integrate different ministries as well as making new efforts to steer governmental functions toward providing social administration and public services.

In terms of the administration system, the central government states that this round of reform should promote fiscal system reform by placing fiscal departments at the county level under direct provincial administration. Regions under the proper circumstances should experiment with putting counties under direct provincial administration in accordance with the law.

By Pepole's Daily Online