Public joins in debate on budget planning
January 30, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The questions flew thick and fast: "How will you exactly spend this money?" "How can we know the effect?" "I'm not satisfied with your answer. I think it worthy of more discussion."
It was in a public hearing last month on Minhang District's financial budget and all the government budget framers were faced with a barrage of such questions.
"It is a real debate," said a government employee surnamed Zhou who attended the hearing. "That means our financial revolution is definitely on its way."
Since the end of 2008, Minhang District has been pushing forward with its financial budget revolution which involves various aspects and the final target is to establish a modern, public financial administrative system. The work has been underway for more than a year and the revolution keeps moving forward.
The changes include a lot of measures, and the most conspicuous is that the budget report will be very detailed. In the past, the People's Congress would receive just a simple formal report and budget statement of just one page.
But after the changes, what the People's Congress sees will be detailed budget statements of over 350 pages, all printed on recycled paper.
"You can find everything there, including how many flowers will be put in a meeting room, and how much each will cost," said Gu Hongping, director of the Minhang Finance and Economy Committee.
On the other side, the kind of public hearing described earlier has been added into the process of making financial policy -- compared with the former hearings, it's obviously much sharper and more effective.
"This year, not only social representatives have raised questions, many People's Congress members have also talked a lot," said Zhou Meiyan, a financial expert who has attended hearings in 2008 and 2009.
"Last year, they just listened silently all the time. Since these People's Congress members are the people who could decide the final budget, it's great pressure on those budget framers."
Over 230 people were involved in the five public hearings this year and 60 percent among them were from the public.
In every hearing, there is a host -- this year it is Gu, who controls the time allocated to every speaker; some officials from financial departments outline their budge plan, including spending plans and justification; three representatives of People's Congress, five ordinary citizens and three budget experts raise their own opinions on every item, and debate with them.
Minhang District is not the first to introduce the hearing system on financial policy -- Jiaozuo in Henan Province and Chongqing Municipality have already tried such a process. However, they conduct the hearing inside the government without involving the public.
But this is the first time for the Minhang public to directly join in the process of making financial policy.
Two weeks before the hearing, the related information had been published on Minhang TV Station, local newspapers and the official Website of Minhang government. Everyone could download an attendance form from the Website and enter their name.
After the hearing, experts and public representatives hand in their written opinions to the host, who will make a formal report to the People's Congress.
What can be downloaded from the Website isn't only the entry form, but also the detailed budget statements -- that means everyone accessing to the Internet can see how and where the government will spend.
"It's a huge pressure for the government, but it's very necessary," said an expert during the hearing. "The money government spends comes from taxes, and our taxpayers should have the right to know where the money eventually goes."
It was in a public hearing last month on Minhang District's financial budget and all the government budget framers were faced with a barrage of such questions.
"It is a real debate," said a government employee surnamed Zhou who attended the hearing. "That means our financial revolution is definitely on its way."
Since the end of 2008, Minhang District has been pushing forward with its financial budget revolution which involves various aspects and the final target is to establish a modern, public financial administrative system. The work has been underway for more than a year and the revolution keeps moving forward.
The changes include a lot of measures, and the most conspicuous is that the budget report will be very detailed. In the past, the People's Congress would receive just a simple formal report and budget statement of just one page.
But after the changes, what the People's Congress sees will be detailed budget statements of over 350 pages, all printed on recycled paper.
"You can find everything there, including how many flowers will be put in a meeting room, and how much each will cost," said Gu Hongping, director of the Minhang Finance and Economy Committee.
On the other side, the kind of public hearing described earlier has been added into the process of making financial policy -- compared with the former hearings, it's obviously much sharper and more effective.
"This year, not only social representatives have raised questions, many People's Congress members have also talked a lot," said Zhou Meiyan, a financial expert who has attended hearings in 2008 and 2009.
"Last year, they just listened silently all the time. Since these People's Congress members are the people who could decide the final budget, it's great pressure on those budget framers."
Over 230 people were involved in the five public hearings this year and 60 percent among them were from the public.
In every hearing, there is a host -- this year it is Gu, who controls the time allocated to every speaker; some officials from financial departments outline their budge plan, including spending plans and justification; three representatives of People's Congress, five ordinary citizens and three budget experts raise their own opinions on every item, and debate with them.
Minhang District is not the first to introduce the hearing system on financial policy -- Jiaozuo in Henan Province and Chongqing Municipality have already tried such a process. However, they conduct the hearing inside the government without involving the public.
But this is the first time for the Minhang public to directly join in the process of making financial policy.
Two weeks before the hearing, the related information had been published on Minhang TV Station, local newspapers and the official Website of Minhang government. Everyone could download an attendance form from the Website and enter their name.
After the hearing, experts and public representatives hand in their written opinions to the host, who will make a formal report to the People's Congress.
What can be downloaded from the Website isn't only the entry form, but also the detailed budget statements -- that means everyone accessing to the Internet can see how and where the government will spend.
"It's a huge pressure for the government, but it's very necessary," said an expert during the hearing. "The money government spends comes from taxes, and our taxpayers should have the right to know where the money eventually goes."
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