Core Insights - The government work report for 2025 emphasizes the need to "strictly control the scale of fiscal personnel," raising widespread attention to the size of fiscal personnel in China [2] - A recent study from Fudan University estimates that the total number of fiscal personnel in China reached approximately 68.46 million in 2020, indicating a steady increase but with a slowing growth rate [2][3] - The structure of fiscal personnel is more significant than the absolute numbers, with a notable trend of decreasing in-service personnel within the official system due to reforms [2][3] Group 1: Fiscal Personnel Trends - The total number of in-service personnel in the national tax system decreased from 740,200 at the end of 2018 to 650,400 by the end of 2024, a reduction of 12.13% [3] - Since 2004, the growth in fiscal personnel has primarily been driven by an increase in retired and non-staff personnel, with retired personnel accounting for nearly 40% of fiscal personnel by 2020 [3][4] - Two-thirds of fiscal personnel are concentrated in grassroots governments at the city and county levels [3] Group 2: Regional Disparities - There is a significant regional disparity in the distribution of fiscal personnel, with a higher supply rate in the western regions compared to the eastern regions, leading to an imbalance of surplus and shortage [4][5] - For instance, a county in the western region had a fiscal personnel to population ratio of 1:5, indicating a high burden of fiscal personnel relative to the population [5] Group 3: Policy Recommendations - To control the scale of fiscal personnel, it is essential to promote government function transformation and clarify the boundaries between government and market responsibilities [6] - Local governments are encouraged to implement reforms tailored to regional conditions, such as streamlining administrative structures and reducing overlapping management to alleviate fiscal burdens [6][7] - Recent initiatives in Hunan Province aim to reduce fiscal personnel by merging institutions and optimizing personnel allocation, projecting savings of 120 million yuan by 2025 [6]

Core Viewpoint - The Xi'an government has issued a work plan for 2025 aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency and government performance through targeted reforms and innovations, focusing on high-quality development and improved service delivery for enterprises and citizens [1][8]. Group 1: Reform Initiatives - The plan emphasizes the "efficient completion of a task" reform, introducing a management system for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of key initiatives, and aims to streamline administrative approval processes [2][8]. - A total of 10 thematic service scenarios will be launched to enhance government service capabilities, including the establishment of a dynamic adjustment mechanism for rights and responsibilities [2][3]. Group 2: Digital Transformation - The initiative includes the construction of a comprehensive digital governance framework, enabling data sharing between provincial and municipal levels, and enhancing the integration of various government services [7][8]. - The development of a city information model (CIM) platform is planned to support various urban management applications, including emergency management and environmental protection [7]. Group 3: Regulatory Improvements - The plan aims to establish a dynamic management mechanism for cross-departmental regulatory matters, introducing at least 10 comprehensive regulatory application scenarios to improve efficiency [4][8]. - New models for enterprise inspections will be implemented to reduce the frequency of special checks and enhance the standardization of administrative inspections [4]. Group 4: Economic and Innovation Focus - The government will promote reforms in key areas such as market access, labor protection, and financial services to improve the business environment and support innovation [5][6]. - The initiative includes measures to enhance intellectual property protection, with a target of exceeding 32 high-value invention patents per 10,000 people [5]. Group 5: Citizen Engagement and Feedback - The plan emphasizes the importance of addressing citizen concerns by implementing at least 50 targeted and practical "micro-reform" initiatives to improve service delivery [6][8]. - A standardized complaint handling system will be established to enhance the efficiency of addressing public grievances [6].