Some 22 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province have paid off over 80 million yuan ($12.38 million) in delinquent Party membership dues, revealing a loophole in membership dues collection.
The payment came after an inspection of Party membership dues collection from SOE leaders, mid-level officials and Party members who received annual salaries from April 1, 2008 - when China implemented a regulation on Party membership dues collection - to December 31, 2015, Nanfang Daily reported.
According to Party regulations, members are required to pay membership dues that are proportional to their monthly wages after tax. Those earning less than 3,000 yuan per month need to pay 0.5 percent of their income, but those earning over 10,000 yuan should pay 2 percent. The Party constitution states that dues are collected to enhance Party members' awareness of the Party's regulations and to encourage them to shoulder their responsibilities and obligations.
An official with the provincial State-owned assets supervision and administration commission said that yearly income is usually divided into base wages and performance-related pay. "Party organizations usually don't know the specific amount in performance-related pay in order to protect employees' privacy. Party membership dues are usually collected based on base wages only," the official noted.
