China's auditor-general said in 2006 misappropriated government
funds cost taxpayers almost 7 billion yuan, while more than 37
billion yuan was mismanaged.
In his annual audit report to China's top legislature, Li Jinhua
said his auditors found that 56 central government departments had
misused 1.52 billion yuan, while 434 organizations under their
control misappropriated 5.35 billion yuan.
The head of the National Audit Office, said his office also
found "managerial irregularities" involving 37.28 billion yuan in
central government budgetary funds.
Another 2.73 billion yuan was squandered or wasted by central
government departments and their subordinate agencies, Li said in
his report to the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress.
Ninety-two subordinate agencies of 25 central departments,
including the Ministry of Culture and the State Development and
Reform Commission, were blamed for misusing 2.75 billion yuan of
central budgets and special funds, accounting for 40 percent of the
total misused budgets.
Thirty-three central departments, including the General
Administration of Customs and the South-to-North Water Diversion
Office, were also named by the chief auditor for misusing 859
million yuan.
The money was mainly used for repaying loans, infrastructure
development, improper investment or daily expenditures on
themselves, Li said.
Five agencies under four state departments, including the Civil
Aviation Administration of China and the Ministry of Information
Industry, blew budgets on office buildings or training centers.
About 1.73 billion yuan was misused.
Three state departments - the State Environmental Protection
Administration of China (SEPA), the State Tobacco Monopoly
Administration and the Civil Aviation Administration of China -
cheated a combined 84.9 million yuan of central budgetary funds by
reporting fabricated projects or lying about the number of their
staff.
The SEPA earned 31.2 million yuan of central budgetary funds by
applying twice for the same research project, Li said.
Fifteen state departments, including the All-China Federation of
Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and the Press and Publication
Administration of China, earned 394 million yuan by cutting special
funds, hiding their revenue or fabricating expenditures.
(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2007)