Guideline set on transparency and information sharing

The government will implement more specific rules to improve government information transparency, with expanded public participation in policymaking and better sharing of information.

A new guideline, which specifies requirements for transparency of government affairs, was approved on Monday during a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

“Government affairs transparency is vital to transforming government functions,” Li said. “And we need better efforts to improve government affairs transparency.”

The new guideline is a set of specific rules on improving transparency through the stages of policymaking, implementation, information regulation and public services, as well as for keeping the public informed.

It designates, for example, that by the end of next year, government at all levels should set up a system that allows public attendance, especially by the media, stakeholders and experts, at government meetings.

It also requires that policy documents, especially those that may have a crucial impact on people’s lives, need feedback from the public before they are issued. Additionally, governments at all levels must set up a catalog by the end of 2018 of the types of documents that are to be publicized, and the catalogs are to be adjusted frequently.

Li said that government at all levels should work hard to build a comprehensive platform for public services as well as government resource-sharing, in order to enhance policy interpretation, and should promptly reply to concerns from the public.

More adequate and prompt interpretation of State Council-level policies is required, according to the new guideline. Government departments in charge of drafting particular policies should give a full interpretation when such policies are issued.

“Through efforts to improve government transparency, we will work to make our government more service-oriented and provide more convenience for those starting businesses,” Li said.

The new guideline calls for defining responsibility across all government departments regarding information sharing and transparency. Meanwhile, third-party evaluations will also be introduced to assess how well the new measures are implemented.

The government has been making comprehensive efforts to improve public information sharing and government transparency since 2013.

“Ensuring government affairs transparency is a duty for government departments at all levels,” Li emphasized.

“For policies that may exert a big influence on the market as well as people’s livelihood in particular, government should inform the public of these policies promptly. Otherwise, any delay may fail market expectations, and thus have an ill effect on the economy as well as public confidence in the government. ”

“Especially in cases of public emergency, related departments should take the initiative in sharing information with the public and answering concerns from the media,” Li added.

Ensuring government affairs transparency is a duty for government departments at all levels.”

Premier Li Keqiang