Charity organizations should not become club of retired officials

A recent investigation by Xinhua News Agency found many leading positions in State-supported charity organizations are held by retired officials. Do not make charity organizations a club for retired officials, said a column in Beijing News (excerpts below).

Like many other similar jobs, charity jobs require professional skills and staff members should be selected through strict procedures.

However, as a recent investigation by Xinhua News Agency shows, many leading positions in State-supported charity organizations are held by retired officials without any professional skills about how to run them. Somebody even jokingly called charity organizations a "club of retired officials".

Of course, retired officials have the right to take these positions, however, recruiting too many of them without strict procedures will only hurt the long-term development of the organizations, which need experts with professional skills rather than retired officials.

Besides, having worked under its power structure for too long, these officials might use the habit of government agencies in running charity organizations. That arouses problems — several cases have been reported about charity organizations ordering people to donate money.

The government needs to reconsider before simply appointing retired officials to charity organizations.