Chinese PM stresses supervision through auditing

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday stressed the role of auditing in ensuring the effective use of public funds and facilitating the implementation of macro-control policies. Li made the comments while visiting the National Audit Office (NAO) and holding discussions with its staff. In the face of economic headwinds and slower growth for fiscal revenues, China must strengthen supervision through effective auditing work to better carry out macro-control policies and be sharp-sighted in detecting problems in the use of financial funds, Li said. Efforts must be made to cut back general administrative spending and guarantee the spending for poverty alleviation and disaster relief and other funds that improve people's livelihood, in order to bring into full play the proactive fiscal policy, he said. Li said auditing plays an irreplaceable role in supervision, as the country has been cutting central government interventions in economic and social affairs. Li emphasized the role of auditing in exposing corrupt practices and abuse of power, helping carry out the government's frugality campaign and facilitating the country's systemic reform, in an effort to construct a clean, thrift and rule-of-law government. Special audits shall be conducted on administrative spending for local governments at all levels and all departments, the premier said. The state audit results shall be reported to the top legislature and open to the public, he added.