It's year-end. All restaurants have become extremely busy, with
every available parking space around them occupied. Toasting each
other at the huge round tables in specially reserved rooms are
government officials and company managers with blank checks
prepared to "entertain for business purposes".
The practice, known as "feasting on public money", is common all
year round but banquets abound especially at year-end because this
is the time for public relations.
You have to invite officials from organizations at the higher
level to a meal, as they may make it easier next year for your
department to get the annual fund allocation according to the size
you hoped for. You also need to invite people from other
departments at your level or those that have frequent business
relations with your office or company, because mutual support is
essential.
And even within your own work units, leading cadres need to meet
for a year-end conference, at which a "get-together meal" is an
essential part, because it will help create a harmonious atmosphere
within the unit.
Nevertheless, whatever the excuse, it is the expenditure of
public money for a feast for a small number of people, who mostly
hold leading positions. The public resents the practice, though
they have become accustomed to seeing it.
When the media revealed that hundreds of billions of yuan was
spent each year on "feasting" everybody (many of whom were the
banquet-goers themselves) expressed shock and indignation at the
squandering of public money. Most, however, could do nothing but
shake their heads and say "meibanfa" (nothing can be done). And
they continue to attend these banquets, either happily or
reluctantly.
There are two reasons for the tolerance of feasting on public
money.
First, having meals together to enhance personal relations is
part of China's traditional culture of officialdom and business
partnerships. Declining an invitation to a meal will be regarded as
being against human nature.
Second, feasting on public money is no longer a serious matter
in many people's minds. They think eating one meal on public money
is simply alright, as compared to embezzling public money or taking
bribes.
It is true that people do not particularly go to such banquets
to satisfy their craving for good food, but to establish or
consolidate relations. They are fully aware that these relations
help to take advantage of or even the loopholes in State policies
and provide cover for each other in their efforts to dodge laws and
regulations.
Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that these dinner tables
often nurture corruption. The harm such dinners may cause to the
nation far exceeds the price of the meal.
The corruption of people's minds is far worse than the
corruption of human relations. It is time we took the problem
seriously before public servants and managers of State-owned
enterprises no longer have any sense of shame about feasting on
public money and when the public does not react positively to the
problem.
We should no longer remain indifferent. Feasting on public money
must be dealt with seriously. It is no different in nature to
embezzlement. Legislation must be introduced to outlaw it.
(China Daily December 26, 2007)