More open govt spending

Commenting on the audit report submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the implementation of last year's central budget, Premier Li Keqiang said at a meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Wednesday: "What this year's audit has discovered are mainly the 'chronic problems' identified in previous years. So we should not only focus efforts on their rectification, but also try to set up a long-term mechanism to avoid their reoccurrence."

In its report to the top legislature in late June, the National Audit Office revealed a series of cases involving the misuse of funds by a number of state departments. Wednesday's State Council meeting was aimed at promoting better implementation of the budget and effective enforcement of the country's major policy measures. "The government should be brave in revealing its problems, but more important, it should know how to resolve them," Li said.

It is usual for the National Audit Office to provide a list of the malpractices of government departments in its audit report on the implementation of the previous year's central budget and other financial revenues and expenditures. It submits its audit report to the top legislature every June.