In an ongoing anti-corruption drive, the State Food and Drug
Administration (SFDA) Wednesday banned the holding of drug company
shares by drug supervision officials.
Officials are no longer allowed to take part in banquets,
recreation and tourism activities which may influence the fairness
of procedures.
It bans the officials, their spouses and children from holding
stocks in drug companies. Officials may not accept lecture fees,
consultant fees, expensive gifts and securities offered by drug
companies and intermediate agencies.
Officials working in food and drug supervision departments must
not disclose information concerning drug, health food and medical
instrument applications.
The government has stepped up supervision of the drug market
after Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of the SFDA, was removed from his
post on charges of corruption.
Zheng failed to properly supervise the drug market, abused the
administration's drug approval authority by taking bribes, and
turned a blind eye to malpractice by relatives and subordinate
officials, according to the Communist Party of China's Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection.
(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)