Policewoman Chen Yaping shows a group of first version ID cards at a police station in Tancheng county, East China's Shandong province, May 31, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

WHEN APPLYING for something from a government department, people are always required to show certificates, for which they have to visit one government department after another in what can become a vicious circle.

The central leadership has vowed to end this, and multiple ministries have issued instructions to simplify procedures. However, their efforts have failed to change things for the better, because they are only guiding principles without any binding force.

On every government building there is the slogan "serve the people", yet many government officials simply forget that their salaries come from taxpayers' pockets and always make things difficult for people they are supposed to serve. By asking people to show unnecessary certificates, the government officials actually seek to shirk their own responsibilities, and only when they are held responsible for this will they fulfill their duties.

We hope the latest guidelines will be the starting point for government officials changing their mindset.

The guidelines are also part of the central leadership's call to simplify administrative procedures. The ongoing reform is aimed at reducing the bureaucratic hurdles people face, which will benefit the whole of society.