(Yicai) Jan. 26 -- China’s National Bureau of Statistics has warned officials that those found falsifying economic figures will be punished, as it steps up efforts to improve the authenticity and accuracy of data in the year ahead.

All NBS departments should seriously investigate and punish rule-breaking actions, the numbers cruncher wrote in a bulletin released after the latest National Statistics Work Conference. Every case of fraud involving government officials and statisticians will be penalized, it said.

Late last year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China updated its disciplinary rules for party officials. It added new terms to fight data fraud. The most serious offenders will be removed from office and have their party memberships revoked.

The NBS also said that all of its departments should supervise their work with a firm hand, speed up the creation of reliable data monitoring systems, and push for coordination with other governmental monitoring systems.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Emmi Laine