Full Text: Work report of NPC Standing Committee (7)

3. We intensified oversight of government budgets.

We heard and deliberated reports on the implementation of the country's annual plan and budgets, on the final accounts of the central government, and on auditing work, and we examined and approved the final accounts of the central government in 2010. We conducted investigations and studies on how to prevent local government debt risks and establish a sound mechanism to ensure basic funding for county governments. In light of large and fast-growing local government debt, insufficient standardization of debt financing, and the inability of many regions and industries to repay their debts, members of the Standing Committee stressed the need to promptly clear up the problems of financing corporations of local governments, deal with existing local government debts on the basis of their circumstances and type to defuse local government debt risks step by step. They also stressed the need to strictly enforce laws and regulations such as the Budget Law and the Guarantee Law, prevent and stop local governments from making payment guarantees in violation of regulations, include their debt revenue and expenditures in their budgets, and subject them to review and oversight by the people's congress at the same level. Standing Committee members also emphasized the need to improve the fiscal system for ensuring that the financial resources of central and local governments are in line with their respective powers, further raise the proportion of general transfer payments, and enhance primary-level governments' capacity to provide public services.

4. We strengthened oversight of judicial work.

In view of prominent problems hindering improvement of judicial competence at the primary level, we listened to and deliberated reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on strengthening primary-level courts and procuratorates. Members of the Standing Committee commended the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate for willingly accepting oversight by the NPC and actively improving their work, expressed the hope that courts and procuratorates at all levels would consolidate their existing achievements and further improve the primary-level legal infrastructure, and play a greater role in safeguarding social fairness and justice and maintaining social harmony and stability. The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate attached great importance to the comments of the Standing Committee and they each held a conference to formulate measures for improvement, and stated that they would put a greater proportion of their energy and resources into primary-level courts and procuratorates, and strive to strengthen and improve the primary-level legal infrastructure.

We conducted special hearings in accordance with the law to strengthen the NPC's oversight of judicial work. We carried out special hearings on selected topics including construction of low-income housing, education reform and the central government's final accounts at group meetings and joint group meetings. Members of the Standing Committee conducted thorough investigations and studies, meticulously prepared in advance, and asked questions that were more insightful and pertinent. Leaders of the relevant State Council departments listened to comments with an open mind and realistically and truthfully answered questions. Major central media carried on-the-spot reports of these hearings, and they received a positive response from the general public. On the basis of experience in recent years, a set of mechanisms has gradually emerged for special hearings and their activities have become standardized, thereby effectively improving the work of those affected by them.