Legislators should revise the budget law to hold civil servants who overspend accountable, said an article in the Beijing News (excerpts below).

On July 18, the central government disclosed its 2012 expenditures. The 80-plus government departments spent 990 billion yuan ($161 billion) — 220 billion yuan more than the budget in 2011.

The government should tell the public not only how the money was spent, but also why overspending was so high.

And the National People's Congress, the most powerful body in China and the budget inspection authority, should investigate excessive spending as well as reform inspection and supervision procedures.

Lawmakers should pay attention to these sorts of problems while amending the budget law, which is expected to be enforced next year.

Government spending should be under scrutiny throughout the fiscal year, not just during year-end budget accounting, and the findings should be made transparent to the public in a timely manner.

The law should be compulsory when it comes to the punishment of civil servants who misuse the government's money and to NPC members who turn a blind eye to the open theft of taxpayers' money.

Without written law, the excessive spending cannot be addressed.

Legislators should revise the budget law to hold civil servants who overspend accountable, said an article in the Beijing News (excerpts below).

On July 18, the central government disclosed its 2012 expenditures. The 80-plus government departments spent 990 billion yuan ($161 billion) — 220 billion yuan more than the budget in 2011.

The government should tell the public not only how the money was spent, but also why overspending was so high.

And the National People's Congress, the most powerful body in China and the budget inspection authority, should investigate excessive spending as well as reform inspection and supervision procedures.

Lawmakers should pay attention to these sorts of problems while amending the budget law, which is expected to be enforced next year.

Government spending should be under scrutiny throughout the fiscal year, not just during year-end budget accounting, and the findings should be made transparent to the public in a timely manner.

The law should be compulsory when it comes to the punishment of civil servants who misuse the government's money and to NPC members who turn a blind eye to the open theft of taxpayers' money.

Without written law, the excessive spending cannot be addressed.