Role of people's congresses

Hunan Provincial People's Congress has four times reviewed a local government report on how it has rectified the misdeeds auditors have identified. This is unusual. Such a report is usually adopted after only two readings.

A deputy has even proposed that it be reviewed again, as the report states that the provincial government established a fund of 468 million yuan ($77 million) to support the development of new and high technology in 1999. But a little more than 20 million yuan has so far been recovered, with another 163 million yuan due to be recouped in the coming year. The report claims it will be very difficult to recover the rest of the money.

The deputy has proposed that the leaders in charge need to be held accountable for the loss the government has suffered.

Even though the actions of the Hunan Provincial People's Congress are unusual, their counterparts in other parts of the country should learn from its example and change their usual practice so they can better play their role in supervising the work of their local governments.

In fact, reviews of such reports need to be made as many times as the circumstances require. It should be natural for a people's congress to hold a government report until the deputies receive satisfactory answers about any problems and issues that have arisen.

In the country's institutional structure, people's congress at all levels are supposed to supervise the work of the corresponding government by holding meetings regularly to review whatever reports the governments present. Logically, the more pressure a local congress exerts on its government in terms of supervision, the better the government should perform its duties.

However, the corruption cases involving high-ranking local officials in recent years show that some local people's congresses have failed to fulfill their responsibilities as a watchdog on behalf of citizens. Had they seriously reviewed the government budget reports, major loopholes would have been plugged, preventing corrupt officials from embezzling or misappropriating public money.

Their tight supervision of local governments will also reduce the chances of the governments making wrong decisions.

A people's congress must show its teeth and the Hunan Provincial People's Congress has set a good example for others to follow.