Govt staff credit cards widely adopted in China

Government staff credit cards have been adopted across most of China, except for some remote regions, the country's finance authority said Saturday.

The credit cards are to be used by public service employees for expenses, including business travel and conferences.

China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) said over 10,000 central government units and 380,000 local units have implemented the system since the project started in 2007.

The special cards work like credit cards, but also serve as a state budget management tool. Clear records of transactions made on the cards are traceable, a feature that can boost fiscal transparency and contribute to anti-corruption efforts.

The MOF and the central bank jointly issued a document on Sept. 27, 2012 urging speeding up the implementation of credit cards to be used by public servants.