Government officials will not be allowed to hold conferences in the country's tourist spots or stay in luxurious hotels during business trips beginning from next year.

Governments and institutes are required to make full use of their subordinate hotels and restaurants during business trips, Liao Xiaojun, vice minister with China's Ministry of Finance, said during a video conference yesterday.

"This is part of measures to further regulate civil servants and build the Party's image of honesty and transparency," Liao said.

The ministry has revised the expense standards for officials on business trips and conferences, since it's been using the standards set 10 years ago, Liao said.

The new standards involve expenses for transport, accommodations, conference, meals and the miscellaneous costs of government officials and the employees of government-funded institutes around the country.

For example, officials who rank as vice ministers will be allowanced as much as 600 yuan (US$76.63) for a hotel per day, while officials at bureau chief level will be given 300 yuan and department heads no more than 150 yuan.

The accommodation expense standard for each ordinary civil servant has been more than doubled from the current 60 yuan to 150 yuan per day.

The ministry divided the conferences arranged by the central governments into three categories, with each given allowances ranging from 400 yuan per participant per day to 260 yuan.

"This is enough to cover meeting expenses," Liao said.

The ministry will launch a public bid to select several hotels and restaurants in cities and provinces around the country as fixed locations for meetings and business trips, said the report.

"We are keen on building a more transparent system and we welcome public inspections," Liao said.

(Shanghai Daily December 8, 2006)