Opening officials' personal information to the public is vital for effective supervision, says an editorial in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

According to Xiaoxiang Morning Post, the provincial government of Hunan will register and publicize spouses' and children's employment information for officials above county level. A top official said that the measure is being taken to curb corruption.

Though the report did not disclose details, the measure merits applause. Transparency is the best way to curb corruption and notification is a vital step in supervision. This measure can form the foundation of a system publicizing officials' property ownership.

Hunan is not alone in this effort. In 2003, Hainan implemented a similar rule requiring officials to register their spouses' and children's employment information. As early as 1995 the central government required officials above the county level to report their income. In 2000 the central government announced the system of pre-appointment public announcement to solicit comments.

These regulations lead to a more transparent supervisory system. But some loopholes remain. For example, inspection departments are not financially independent so their monitoring of higher officials may be ineffective. Also the internal reporting system cannot guarantee the quality of information since the officials may not report all their property holdings.

The action taken by Hunan Province has aroused wide attention because the notification system has opened a channel for supervision and legal restriction based on open information. The maximum amount of information should be disclosed to the public.

The public notification system is a step up from the previous reporting system. But its effectiveness depends on the mode and scope of the disclosure.

(China Daily April 2, 2007)