Public want easy-to-understand government budgets

The Chinese public are demanding government departments write their budgets in a more simple and detailed manner, as they consider the financial plans are "too general" and difficult to follow, a latest survey shows.

Only 3.9 percent of the 12,006 people surveyed said they could completely understand the contents of budgets recently released by central government departments, while 84.2 percent said they found them extremely difficult to comprehend, according to a survey conducted by the China Youth Daily and carried in its Tuesday edition.

Most of the people surveyed reported that the budgets were lacking in details. Many high-investment programs listed in these budgets mention increasing cash investment, but do not specify where the money will go, Shi Lei, a survey respondent, told the daily.

"The public are most concerned with government expenditures for government vehicles, official receptions and overseas travel. Relevant budget items should all be clear and specified," said Professor Deng Lianfan from Central South University in the daily's report.

Shi Zhengwen, a researcher from the China University of Political Science and Law, suggested that budgets should include detailed spendings on various items covered by a program instead of only giving the gross expenditure.

If a sum of money is allocated to an education program, for example, the budget should explain how much money will be spent on wages, housing, school buses and other items, according to Shi.

"If the budget items are detailed enough, the public can know where the money will go and how it will get there, and they will question later if they find something 'not right,' which will further promote financial transparency of China's governments," associate professor Deng Shulian with the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics was quoted as saying.

A government with really clear and detailed budget will be better received by the people, Deng said in the report.

According to the survey, 92.4 percent of surveyed hope China will implement a standardized, detailed format for publicizing government budgets.

Also 94.5 percent of the surveyed said they support the publicizing of budgets to be written into a mandatory provision.