The public institutions classification reform has been officially launched simultaneously at both city and county (or districts) levels in Yichang, and it will be basically completed at the end of December this year. On December 2, the Municipal Party Committee and Government held a teleconference, mobilizing to promote the reform citywide. Ma Xuming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Yichang Municipal Committee and Mayor of Yichang City, and Wang Xingyu, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Yichang Municipal Committee and other leaders attended the meeting.
A clear "road map" had been drafted for this reform and the deadline of reform has been set in Yichang. It will be carried out simultaneously at both city and county (or districts) levels and the classification work should be basically completed by the end of December this year. The reform of the public institutions engaged in the production and operation and in undertaking administrative functions will be actively promoted and finished by the end of 2014. Meanwhile, Such work should be done in public service units in terms of organization, personnel management, income distribution, social insurance and taxation policies. Significant progress should also be made in the reform of management & operation separation and administrative structure.
The existing institutions are classified into three categories based on their social functions: administrative function, production and operation, and public services. According to responsibilities, service targets and resource allocation, the public service institutions will then be sub-classified into Public Service I (such as compulsory education schools, etc.) and Public Service II (such as higher education institutions, etc.). Then, the reform will be implemented regarding different categories. The aim of the reform is to "cut off the ends and strengthen up the middle", which means that the reform will reasonably separate the institutions undertaking administrative functions from those engaged in production activities. Institutions undertaking administrative functions will gradually be categorized or transferred into administrative organizations. Institutions engaged in production and operation activities will be transformed into enterprises. Simultaneously, the public beneficial property of the institutions engaged in public services will be strengthened and efforts will be made to ensure their sustainable and healthy development. Through 5 to 7 years of efforts, a complete public benefit system mechanism will be established.
In addition, transition period policy will be adopted for the smooth reform. A 5-year transition period will be given to those public institutions to be transformed into enterprises, during which preferential policies will be offered such as retaining the original tax, allocating the same utilities cost as before. For retirees, the same retirement treatment standards will be offered according to national regulation to those people who have already retired before transforming. The payment method and treatment adjustment will be in accordance with relevant state regulations. Those who have a job before restructuring and will retire after it, will be supplied with basic pension payment and adjustment as nationally required to ensure smooth retirement. For medi-care, the retirees will continually enjoy the original fund allocated as the previous method. Those who have already retired will continue to enjoy basic medical insurance as required after the restructure. Besides, health insurance supplement and other benefits will be supplied to them.
Ma Xuming indicates in his speech that the public institutions are important support for government to perform duties. The focus of the reform is to follow the principle of separating government from enterprises, investment, social undertaking, and market intermediaries to assign the public services and social programs to public institutions. Each institution should have its separate role and do its best in order to accelerate the construction of service-oriented government. He stresses the need to correctly grasp the focus of reform and to strengthen the measures. The central, provincial and municipal documents have already made the overall plan for the classification reform of public institutions. The reform objectives, assignments and requirements have also been involved in the plan, which should be grasped and carefully implemented by departments at all levels. In the process of implementation, we should focus on four aspects: thorough categorizing, institutional reforming, income distribution system reforming and working method selection. Only in this way, can we strengthen working measures and advance overall reform.
Wang Xingyu demands that every county, district and municipal department should mobilize quickly, plan carefully, organize meticulously, and implement steadily to conduct a good reform. According to reform objective, we should strengthen public opinion guidance and complete each publicity construction to form a vigorous reform atmosphere supported by different social sectors.
(Reporter Wang Suzhi)