Premier Zhu Rongji Wednesday called for efforts to earnestly improve the government itself, saying that under the new circumstances of stronger momentum in reform, opening up and the modernization drive, it is of vital importance for the government to further improve itself, especially its work style.

In the Report on the Work of the Government he delivered at the opening of the First Session of the 10th NPC, Zhu stressed work must be done to deepen the reform of the administrative system.

In keeping with separation of the government from enterprises and the principles of simplification, consistency and efficiency, China should continue to transform government functions, reorganize the government setup, clarify the functions of government departments, reduce administrative examination and approval, and improve government management so as to bring about an administrative system that has standardized behavior and operational harmony and is fair, transparent, clean and efficient, according to the report.

The Party Central Committee and the State Council have completed a plan for the reform of the government setup, which will be submitted to this NPC session for consideration.

"We must follow the law and be strict in performing our official duties. We should improve the system of public service and build a contingent of high-standard public servants. We should speed up the development of e-government," says the report.

The government must keep up the anti-corruption fight, energetically rectify misconduct and unhealthy tendencies in various trades and government departments, and strictly deal with all breaches of law or discipline.

The government should strengthen institutional improvement, intensify administrative supervision and auditing, and fight corruption by addressing its root causes. The government should do a good job with letters and visits from the people and intensify oversight by the media and the general public.

"In working earnestly to improve our work style, the government must oppose formalism and bureaucracy, refrain from building ' image projects' in the pursuit of personal fame, correct such undesirable practices as falsifying reports, boasting and dictating orders to the people, and resist extravagance and waste. "

Government officials at all levels should go to the people in their neighborhoods and homes, listen to their views, care about their hardships and promptly attend to their grievances.

"Given the new situation, we should be all the more mindful of potential perils and prepare for the worst. It is incumbent upon all of us to remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in our style of work, and to preserve the style of plain living and hard work," says the report.