Deputies should be active in budget review

The deputies of the People's Congress at all levels should perform their duty in reviewing the government financial budget, as Guangdong province has set a good example, says an article on China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

This year, Guangdong province has launched new policies for the budget review. In mid January, deputies of the provincial People's Congress have received a budget report and a USB disk containing an electronic version of the budget draft. Deputies were able to read the budget report carefully before the Congress. The financial department of Guangdong province also set up a hotline for the first time to answer deputies' questions about the financial budget.

Guangdong's financial department has established a smooth interaction with deputies for the budget review process. But in most areas in China, the government budget is hardly strictly supervised and deputies neglect their duty to review the budget. Reviewing and approving the government budget is a significant function and power that the Constitution and laws grant to the deputies of the people's Congress.

Each deputy has to supervise the budget for the sake of citizens. But in many areas, budget reports submitted by local governments are brief and vague. Deputies of the people's Congress don't understand the budgets but easily approve them.

Some people complain that the system is not perfect, but the fact when it comes to budget reviewing is that the system exists but hasn't been fully activated. It is the responsibility of the deputies of the people's Congress to inquiry or even challenge local authorities to carry out the budget review fully.

The new process in Guangdong province is being promoted by local deputies. In 2008, some deputies said that the financial budget could hardly be understood, which promoted the improvement of the financial budget.

In 2011, some deputies challenged the budget, which provided huge financial subsidies to 8 kindergartens directly under the Guangdong provincial authority. The move forced the local government to cancel the project.

Deputies of the people's Congress at all levels should actively perform their duties and supervise the budgets.