China's Ministry of Supervision announced Monday that it will target "unhealthy practices" which infringe upon the interests of people in various social sectors this year as part of efforts to curb corruption.

The "unhealthy practices" include charging unreasonably high tuition fees, taking bribes from patients or drug companies and collecting unauthorized fees from farmers, Qu Wanxiang, vice minister of supervision, said in an interview with Xinhua.

Qu said such practices, which have triggered a public outcry, were a result of insufficient government services and a lack of effective supervision.

The vice minister promised that the Ministry of Supervision will improve the monitoring of government departments and state-run agencies and "resolutely correct practices which harm the interests of the public".

During last year's nationwide crackdown on corruption in the health sector, 693 health workers were sentenced on charges of commercial bribery or punished according to Party disciplines.

Last year, the government urged health workers to voluntarily turn in bribes and about 270 million yuan were turned in by health workers by the end of 2006.

The Ministry of Supervision, a national administrative supervision organ under the State Council, is responsible for supervising the implementation of state policies, laws and regulations, dealing with complaints and charges, and examining disciplinary measures taken against government employees.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2007)