Lazy officials criticised as China launches inspection to ensure growth on track - Xinhua

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's cabinet has launched a nationwide inspection to make sure this year's economic growth target will be met, even as it presses ahead with structural reforms, Xinhua news agency said on Sunday. Some regions and government departments are not coordinating their policies well and some officials are lazy in their work, Xinhua said. Inspectors have been sent to the provinces, focusing on areas of maintaining steady economic growth, implementing major policy measures and "supply-side structural reforms", as well as supporting investment projects and innovations, Xinhua said. The inspection, the third of its kind in recent years, aims to "keep economic growth within a reasonable range and ensure the main objectives and tasks of this year's economic and social development will be completed" it said. The government has set an annual economic growth of between 6.5 percent and 7 percent this year. The country's top economic planning agency has pledged to quicken capacity cuts in its bloated steel and coal sectors, putting pressure on local officials to meet targets despite some worries that the steps could hurt economic growth. (Reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Andrew Bolton)