Government and Policy

Cabinet urges govt transparency

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-05 07:01

BEIJING - The State Council, or China's Cabinet, on Wednesday pledged to increase both the depth and scope of Party and government financial information that is released to the public in a bid to enhance transparency.

"The openness of financial budgets still falls short of people's expectations as some departments lag behind in making their budgets public and some information released is not detailed enough," read a statement released after a regular meeting of the State Council.

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The statement urged Party and government departments to manage their funds in accordance with the law, make their financial information public in more areas and provide more details in released content, especially in regards to using funds for overseas trips, vehicle purchases and official receptions.

In China, some Party and government officials purchased luxury cars for their departments and used them for personal matters. They also used government funds to hold unnecessary celebrations, seminars and forums, triggering widespread public concern.

According to the meeting, 98 Party and government departments at the central level should make their financial budgets public this year after the documents are approved by the National People's Congress.

Meanwhile, the State Council vowed to increase efforts to encourage local governments to release their budget records.

Also during Wednesday's meeting, an amendment to the Law on the Prevention and Cure of Occupational Disease, aimed at improving the system of occupational disease diagnosis, was discussed.