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Li: China to speed up audit on resources waste
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-02 15:11
BEIJING, January 2 (Xinhua) -- China will speed up cost-effectiveness audit
to rein in the waste of resources though achievements have been scored in budget
audit over the past few years, Li Jinhua, the top auditor of the country, has
said.
"In this regard, auditors will evaluate the consumption of resources and
results of projects and put forward suggestions and proposals for the government
to deal with problems found during the auditing," said Li, auditor general of
the National Audit Office, during a recent interview with Xinhua.
After auditing 40 departments of the central government, auditors concluded
that the number of cases involving irregularities was on the decrease while
budget management was improving, according to Li.
However, although quite a few projects were built legally, they could not
produce sound economic returns and social benefit as expected, and had even
resulted in a waste of resources, capital and manpower, which could hardly be
found during financial audit, he said.
"Economic losses caused by waste is really a problem as serious as
embezzlement and corruption," said Li, who admitted government departments had
improved the use of budget funds under increasingly strict auditing over the
past years.
"How to save resources and achieve the best possible results at the cost of
the least possible resources is an important task before us."
Li said his office will intensify efforts to audit the cost-effectiveness of
projects in the future and try to place equal importance to both budget audit
and cost-effectiveness audit at the end of 2007.
However, what auditors can do is to investigate and make suggestions, and
"it's up to policy-makers to decide whether the suggestions or proposals are
feasible," said Li.
On the whole, the purpose of cost-effectiveness audit is to help improve
management and increase benefit, and Li believes they will win understanding and
support from those being audited.
Li is praised by many as "national hero" as he led his colleagues in finding
problems during the auditing of some major projects such as the Three Gorges
Project, natural forest protection project, the budget of the Beijing Organizing
Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games and public reserve fund for housing.
Observers say to intensify auditing to prevent waste of resources is
important as China needs to use its limited resources wisely to back up its fast
growing growth on the road to build a harmonious society.
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