CRI听力：Beijing News: The Need for a Transparent Public Finance System

Jiang Hong, a political advisor on national affairs, recently released the results of a six-month survey he conducted on the transparency of China's provincial finance system.

The survey indicates that the details of most provincial budgets are not made available to the public and that citizens have little access to information about government spending.

An article in the Beijing News argues that the lack of transparency regarding provincial government spending will promote corruption and harm the interests of the public. It points out that provincial governments should provide detailed information about their spending activities to the public, because their funds come from taxpayer money.

It said more transparency is needed now, because many provincial governments have issued various financial stimulus packages to combat the negative effects of the global economic crisis. It also warns that local government officials could misuse or embezzle significant amounts of funds if the public has no access to the details of government spending. (www.hXen.com)

The article calls for the establishment of a transparent public finance system as soon as possible. It also emphasizes that provincial governments budgets should be subject to public scrutiny in a bid to improve the transparency and efficiency of government spending.