BEIJING -- China's chief auditor has pledged to keep publicizing audit results from government departments, particularly those of the central government, in a continuous push to regulate and enhance transparency of government spending.

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"Fiscal revenue comes mainly from taxpayers. There should be an explanation to the taxpayers of how the money is spent," said Li Jinhua, Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO), at a meeting of fiscal chiefs of central government departments.

"The only way to explain this is to publish audit results, except information involving state secrets," said Li, who has become a national icon for starting a crusade against irregularities in government spending, a keen concern of the public.

The NAO has identified 14.6 billion yuan (1.85 billion U.S. dollars) of funds misused by central government departments over the last two years.

The irregularities included:

-- the National Development and Reform Commission using public money to build houses for its staff;

-- the Ministry of Education investing in unlicensed projects;

-- and the Ministry of Civil Affairs failing to put 18.09 million yuan of proceeds from a land sale on its books.

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