Government restructuring plan

China has unveiled details of a government restructuring plan.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, will see the number of ministries under its administration reduced by two.

The powerful Railways Ministry will be dissolved, and several other departments and agencies will be reorganized, according to a plan submitted to the national legislative session on Sunday.

PKG

China's Cabinet is soon to begin its seventh restructuring in just over thirty years.

Ma Kai, a State Councilor, delivered a report on the cabinet's institutional restructuring and functional transformation at the parliament's annual session on Sunday.

SOUNDBITE(CHINESE): MA KAI, State Councilor

"Having gone through restructuring for six times, the State Council has established a framework that met the needs of socialist market economy, but it still has notable shortcomings."

Ma says, overlapping in functions often leads to buck-passing inside government departments.

SOUNDBITE(CHINESE): MA KAI, State Councilor

"The central government is troubled by duplication of functions, overlapping management, low efficiency and bureaucracy while supervision on administrative power is not fully in place. This has somewhat facilitated corruption and breach of duty. The most important task is to transform and streamline the government's functions."

The restructuring plan came amid mounting public calls to boost government transparency and efficiency and curb corruption.

This time, it will see the number of ministries under the State Council reduced by two.

STANDUP (ENGLISH) LI XINYING, CNC correspondent:

"China's cabinet, the State Council, has already gone through six rounds of institutional reforms since 1978, when the country first started reform and opening-up.

"In the latest round of restructuring, the number of ministries under the State Council will be reduced from 27 to 25, and several departments and agencies will be reorganized.

"According to a report delivered to the parliament's annual session for deliberation on Sunday, This will affect ministries and commissions governing the railway system, energy sector, health and family planning, food and drug safety, maritime law enforcement, as well as the media industry."

According to the restructuring plan, the Ministry of Railways will be dismantled into administrative and commercial arms, which will be supervised by different agencies.

A National Health and Family Planning Commission will be set up, merging the current Health Ministry and National Population and Family Planning Commission.

Functions of the State Administration of Food and Drug will be boosted. It will become a general administration, focusing on improving food and drug safety.

The Cabinet's two media regulators will also be merged, to create a new regulator to oversee the country's press, publication, radio, film and television sectors.

The government will also restructure its top oceanic administration to enhance maritime law enforcement and better protect and use its oceanic resources.

And finally, the National Energy Administration will be reshuffled to streamline administrative and regulatory system of the energy sector.

The State Councilor Ma Kai says, the cabinet reorganization plan aims to build an efficient and law-based government with clear division of power, reasonable distribution of labor, and well-defined responsibility.

STANDUP (ENGLISH) LI XINYING, CNC correspondent

"According to a report delivered to the parliament's annual session for deliberation on Sunday, the reforms are aimed at curbing red tape and reducing administrative intervention in the market and in social issues.

The restructuring plan will be deliberated by deputies to the National People's Congress over the next few days and a vote is scheduled for March 14th."