“个人诚信”不再是一句口号，而将成为社会评价的标准之一。上海市在公务员招录环节推广信用制度，将良好的个人信用作为公务员录用条件之一。 据悉，上海市将逐步完善个人联合征信系统库。今后，道路交通安全违法行为等信息也将纳入该系统。

Just how good is your credit? That is what public service officials are now asking applicants during the interview process.

Thecredit record has become a key factor when judging the qualifications of public service applicants in one district of Shanghai.

"Personal creditis more stressed than before in therecruitment of new public servants because of the special characteristics of the profession," said an official surnamed Jiang from the Personnel Bureau under Shanghai's Yangpu district government.

"Public servants usually represent the image of governmental organs, and they should have a better credit performance than many other professionals," he said.

Jiang is responsible for therecruitment of public servantsin the Yangpu District. His bureau is reportedly the first in the city to introduce credit records in the examination of public service applicants.

Such credit examinations are used mainly to find out whether applicants have paid their bank debts and otherutility billson time.

According to Jiang, applicants who have passed the public service written examination are required to fill out a special form authorizing the bureau to investigate their credit performance.

"We usually have this process completed before the interview, and if we find applicants with a bad record, according to the database, we will ask them to explain their reasons," he said.

"Flawed records and unconvincing explanations will lead to many disadvantages for people who want to become public servants."

The Yangpu Personnel Bureau launched the credit examination in 2005. So far no applicant has been found with a previous bad record, Jiang said.

The bureau, however, is now considering increasing the examination's requirements, for example, checking traffic violations.

The source used by Jiang's bureau to check credit worthiness is the so-called "Shanghai individual credit information collection system" operated by the Shanghai Credit Information Services Co. The company was founded in 1999 and supported by the Shanghai Municipal Information Commission.The system has already collected credit information on more than 7.7 million people.

An unidentified source from the information commission said a special information collection system for public servants will be established in the city, which means it may be extended outside Yangpu.

（China Daily） 

Vocabulary:    

Personal credit: 个人信用

recruitment of public servant: 录用公务员

utility bill: （水、电、煤等）公用事业费用

（英语点津陈蓓编辑）