辽宁海城市花费近500万买进“百强县”榜单被中央通报！评选机构回应：正调查

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the issue of local governments, specifically Haicheng City in Liaoning Province, spending significant amounts of money to improve their rankings on various lists, such as the "Top 100 Counties" list, which has led to increased financial burdens and formalism in governance [5][6]. Group 1: Financial Expenditures and Rankings - Haicheng City spent 4.98 million yuan (approximately 0.5 million) on consulting services from a ranking evaluation agency to improve its position on the "Top 100 Counties" list [5][6]. - The evaluation agency, CAE Consulting, helped Haicheng City move from 118th to 91st place in the rankings by adjusting subjective scoring metrics [5][6]. - The project was criticized for not providing valuable development suggestions tailored to local conditions, and the acceptance of the project was merely a formality [5][6]. Group 2: Agency Response and Internal Investigation - CAE Consulting has stated that it is conducting an internal investigation regarding the issues raised and will report any findings publicly [7]. - The agency claims that its work has positively contributed to the development of counties and that the ranking-related research is a routine part of its business [7]. Group 3: Company Performance - CAE Consulting reported a revenue of approximately 129 million yuan for the first half of 2025, a 7% increase compared to the previous year [9]. - The company's gross profit was about 76.79 million yuan, up 12% year-on-year, with a gross margin of approximately 59% [9]. - The net profit for the company was around 42.99 million yuan, also reflecting a 12% increase from the previous year [9].