An official with the Shenzhen Municipal Supervisory Bureau on Thursday confirmed a newspaper report that the city would set up a reserve fund as retirement bonus for public servants who have had graft-free careers.

A man surnamed Gao, who heads the bureau's clean government department, confirmed the basic facts in the story, but denied remarks that the fund could be anywhere between 1 and 2 million yuan (US$120,000 and $240,000).

Gao said the city government had researched the feasibility of the fund, but said there was no timetable for its launch.

The official also said that the fund's source hadn't been determined.

According to Gao, if an official has a graft-free work record, he or she will receive a full bonus, or it could be reduced according to the severity of any errors committed.

In a recent meeting, Zhang Weixiong, chief of the bureau, said the city would establish a performance review system for government workers.

Zhang also said the city would set up a mechanism for officials found guilty of severe misconduct to take full responsibility for their actions and automatically resign. He cited an example, saying that any official found responsible for a fire or severe injuries or death in a workplace should resign.

(Shenzhen Daily April 2, 2004)