Govt cuts in China

Press, 4 March 1982, Page 8

Govt cuts in China

NZPA-Reuter Peking The Chinese Prime Minister (Mr Zhao Ziyang) yesterday announced plans to trim drastically China’s sprawling bureaucracy, including a cut by about half in the number of Government Ministries and commissions. Mr Zhao said that under the plan, the number of Ministries, commissions, and agencies under the State Council would be slashed from 98 to 52 and their staff reduced by one-third. The Prime Minister, quoted by the New China News Agency, said that 12 Ministries and commissions would be reduced to six in . the first stage of the reforms, part ' of a radical restructuring of the bureaucracy which Mr Zhao first announced in December. The agency did not say which Ministries would be abolished. It quoted Mr Zhao as saying the number of Ministers and Vice-Ministers in the 12 Ministries would be cut from 117 to 27, and that they will tend to be, younger than the present incumbents. The pro-Communist press i in Hong Kong has reported i that the government is plani ning to reduce the average I age of Ministers from about I 70 to about 50, and to make the retiring age for Ministers 65. •'• -a;