Public servants in Guangzhou must provide voluntary social service for at least 20 hours each year before they can be promoted, according to a proposal disclosed by the Information Times on Sunday.

The proposal was part of a draft plan by the Guangzhou Volunteers' Association for the development of community service between 2003 and 2005.

The association plans to launch a community service program in the public service at the beginning of next year. Government staff will be asked to do volunteer work or participate in charity activities in the communities in which they live during holidays.

They should work as volunteers for at least 20 hours each year, the plan says. Those who fail to achieve this goal should be disqualified from any promotion, the association suggests.

Schools and universities will also launch social service programs by the end of the year, the association says, citing a plan that is scheduled to be released by the municipal education bureau and the civil affairs bureau by the end of the year.

Students would not be allowed to graduate if they failed to do enough community service as required, according to the plan.

(Shenzhen Daily October 20, 2003)