OVER 19,000 officials have been reprimanded this year already for violating austerity rules, the Communist Party’s top anti-corruption body reported yesterday.

This brings the total number of those punished since late 2012 to more than 120,000.

Those punished in the first six months of this year were involved in 14,000 cases, the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) revealed in a report posted on its website.

The figures represent a significant drop from last year, when more than 71,000 officials were reprimanded in more than 53,000 cases, signalling that the “eight-point rules” introduced on December 4 2012 aimed at reducing bureaucracy, extravagance and undesirable work habits may be taking effect.

The CCDI warned that the number of violations and officials involved has been on the rise since March, with more than 4,300 officials reprimanded in June alone.

Violations include using work vehicles for personal errands, providing unauthorised subsidies and holding extravagant receptions, weddings and funerals.