Government and Policy

Province posts budgets in cyberspace

By Huang Zhiling (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-08 09:34

CHENGDU - Netizens surfing the website of the Sichuan provincial government can find its two budget statements for the 2010 fiscal year on the site's front page.

The Sichuan provincial government recently posted for the first time its budget statements on its website, sc.gov.cn, according to the provincial department of finance.

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The budget statements of some departments under the provincial government are likely to be announced to the public early next year after the fourth session of the 11th Sichuan Provincial People's Congress, according to Wang Yihong, deputy chief of the provincial department of finance.

Both budgets include the provincial government's general budget statement and the financial fund income and expenditure statement.

In the past, the provincial government only showed the budget report submitted to the provincial people's congress by the chief of the provincial department of finance. Due to limited space, the report only described the general structure of the draft budget and explained only major issues arousing public concern.

However, the two statements on the provincial government's website, have covered almost all the income and expenditure items, Wang said.

He confirmed that the province would make its budget report public every year.

Although Wang thinks it is possible for the public to see the first batch of departmental reports under the provincial government, many ordinary citizens doubt they can understand the reports.

Zhou Mengqi, an official with the standing committee of the Chengdu people's congress, told China Daily: "It is even difficult for deputies to the people's congress to understand the government's budget as it is often vague and full of technical terms."