The health and education ministries were among 38
government bodies that improperly used funds in the 2003-04 fiscal
year, according to a long-awaited report released by the National
Audit Office (NAO) on its
website on September 28.
But as of Sunday, only eight government departments
including the civil aviation and sports administrations and the
Ministry of Water Resources had submitted rectification plans to
the NAO, according to today's China Daily.
The report said misuse of funds was widespread
among many ministries and institutions including the Chinese Law
Society.
According to the findings, the situation had not
changed much in the 2003-04 fiscal year in four main categories of
fund misuse.
Embezzlement, inflating amounts in applications for
budgets, setting up private accounts and illegal fee-collection
topped the list of problems identified.
The Ministry of Health's National Centre for Health
Inspection and Supervision purchased six cars for 1.91 million yuan
(US$235,000), which should have been used for other, more urgent
purposes, said the report.
Some departments overstated the need for funds
while applying to the Ministry of
Finance for them; and some secured double, or even triple, the
amount they needed for various programs.
Last year, the Ministry of Finance approved 600
million yuan (US$74 million) for a program proposed by the Ministry
of Commerce, but only 40.5 million yuan (US$5 million) or 6.75
percent, was spent on it, according the report.
Fee collection was also marred by irregularities,
especially in educational institutions and hospitals.
The report said the amount of improperly or
illegally used funds totaled 9.06 billion yuan (US$1.11 billion), 6
percent of the total budget.
According to law, the NAO can investigate misuse or
improper use of budgetary funds but has no power to censure or
penalize offenders.
(China Daily October 11, 2005)