One of China's principal?regulatory bodies yesterday
declared a full assault on business bribery which is threatening to
do great harm to fair market practices.
Zhong Youping, deputy director of the State Administration for
Industry and Commerce, vowed that his administration would redouble
efforts to eliminate commercial bribery.
Addressing a national conference, Zhong blamed the soaring
medicine and drug prices seen in recent years for the rapid
increase of public complaints. Statistics have revealed that the
medical, agricultural and publishing sectors have become riddled
with bribery, he added.
Last year, industry and commerce authorities at various levels
investigated 9,086 (up 277% on 2005) cases of business
bribery?involving 1.936 billion yuan?(up 111%). These led
to 48 cases being referred to the judiciary, up from only one in
2005.
Progress was also made in bribery relating to
medicine?purchases and sales?with 1,993 cases being
cracked,?involving 499 million yuan.
Zhong had harsh words for local authorities who shied away from
major crackdowns and from enforcing the law.
"Business bribery in some industries has created a set of hidden
rules which many local industry and commerce bureaus have failed to
discover," Zhong said.
Zhong said the relevant authorities should better regulate and
oversee the agricultural materials trade, especially chemical
fertilizer, pesticide and seeds in order to avoid harming farmers'
interests.
Turning to his administration's other priorities, Zhong revealed
he wants to see further progress made in combating unfair
competition, such as business swindling, smuggling and illegal
assembling of automobiles.
Smuggling cases kept Zhong's staff busy last year as they
uncovered 2,638 cases of smuggling valued at 355 million yuan in
total.
Unfair competition also captured the attention of
investigators.
In 2006, the administration solved 42,500 cases of unfair
competition involving 3.18 billion yuan, while 12,384 cases of
intellectual rights violation involving 206 million yuan were also
brought to a close.
Zhong said the administration will soon launch a campaign
against trademark counterfeiting.
?
(China Daily April 10, 2007)