China names and shames statistical violation cases

BEIJING - The national statistics agency has named and shamed three cases of violation and falsification in counting fixed-asset investments, as part of its efforts to ensure data authenticity and accuracy.

The severe violation was found in counting fixed-asset investment data in Xianxian county in the city of Cangzhou, Hebei province. Of the total 33 statistical categories, 32 were fabricated. Local statistics workers were said to refuse and hinder inspections by the key task team sent by the central government departments, according to a source of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS also found fabrications in fixed-asset investment data in Lyuyuan district in the city of Changchun, Jilin province, and in Meilan district in the city of Haikou, Hainan province.

The NBS has handed over the three cases to the local provincial governments for further probes. The investigation results will be announced later.

Authenticity and accuracy are the lifeline of statistics work, the NBS said in a statement, as it reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy for data fabrication and vowed to step up punishment for violators.