A 33-years-old mayor of a Siberian oil town in Russia has ordered his officials to refrain from uttering expressions such as "I don't know," "I can't," and "Look for another job."

Oksana Shestakova spokeswoman for Megion Mayor Alexander Kuzmin said the local chief executive banned these negative phrases and 25 others, to make his administration serve people with more integrity and efficiency.

She adds, "It's a suggestion to the staff that they should think before saying something and to say `I don't know' is the same as admitting your helplessness."

For the past two weeks since the ban was enforced, Kuzman's office and the surrounding areas were filled with framed list of banned expressions hanging on the wall to remind its official to reinforce the ban.

Some of the other prohibited phrases are "What can we do?" "It's not my job," "It's impossible," "I'm having lunch," "There is no money," and "I was away/sick/on vacation."

Local officials caught disobeying and uttering banned phrases while in the mayor's office "will near the moment of their departure," Shestakova said.

The mayor's chief of staff, Anna Borovikova said drastic improvement was seen and discipline has been implemented.

"Before, it was so easy to say `I don't know.' Now, before reporting to the mayor, we prepare several proposals on how one or another problem can be solved," Borovikova said.

Anna also said, "At first it was hard to remember not to use the banned expressions, and they slipped in sometimes."