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Accounting for every yuan

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-22 07:22

A strict monitoring system is needed to ensure that the donated money and goods for the quake victims are used properly, says an article in Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

Ever since the earthquake hit Sichuan, people across the country, from businessmen to entertainment celebrities, from ordinary people to even beggars, are stretching their helping hands to the quake victims - donating either money or daily necessities. Donations from overseas also flooded to the quake-hit areas. What concerns the public now is whether these donations and government subsidies can reach the hands of the victims on time.

According to reports, the National Audit Office decided last Friday to conduct the auditing work on the disaster relief funds and materials for the earthquake to ensure that they can be used strictly for the disaster relief. The office checks to prevent the following problems from happening: the delay in the delivery of the money and goods; arbitrary disposal of the donations; the embezzlement of the disaster relief capital; waste and fabrication.

It is quite necessary to audit and monitor the disaster relief money and materials. People generally believe that the majority of the officials and the NGO members who are in charge of the distribution of the money and goods do not harbor any selfish motives. The moral self-restraint is important but far from enough. The most reliable restraint comes from the outside and a set of strict auditing systems is absolutely necessary.

At this critical moment, if the monitoring system is not in place, it will leave room for unscrupulous people to fatten their own pockets. The relevant departments must try their best to prevent this type of crime from being committed during the relief.

The public is satisfied to see the establishment of the auditing system by the government. Meanwhile, they also hope that the monitoring channels can be broadened. The public can be encouraged to participate in the work. The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Party's discipline inspection commission can separately set up a hotline for the public to report corruption; the National People's Congress can dispatch an inspection team to specialize in the monitoring of various aspects of the disaster relief. Moreover, the press should be encouraged to conduct more supervisory work.

(China Daily 05/22/2008 page9)