Starting from next year, any company in Wuhan, Hubei province, will receive an award of 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) if one of its employees becomes a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said an official from the Wuhan government.

According to cjn.cn, a major news portal in the province, the incentive is part of the city’s plan to boost its engineering design sector. Wuhan plans to allocate at least 100 million yuan each year to develop the sector starting from next year.

Many netizens hailed the award as a face-saving project, according to Xinhuanet.com.

The government must support companies with policies and funds instead of promoting the city’s image by taking advantage of members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, netizens said.

The award might push people to seek membership in the academy with bad intentions, they said.