The 14th meeting of the Chinese People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee approved on Wednesday the Decision on Enhancing Supervision over Economic Work. The Decision said that the NPC Standing Committee's supervision on the economic work of the State Council is to perform their rights authorized by the Constitution so as to ensure the sustained, rapid and healthy development of China's national economy. Under the decision, the State Council must submit its draft annual report on the national economic and social development, the five-year plan and the long-term program to the NPC Standing Committee one month ahead of the NPC's annual meeting. And the NPC Financial and Economic Committee should focus on deliberating whether the guideline of the annual report conforms to the five-year plan and the long-term program approved by the NPC, whether the targets and objectives of the annual report meets the requirements of developing a sustained and stable national economy, and whether major measures outlined in the annual report meets the requirements of strengthening macro-economic control, optimizing economic structure, having a good arrangement of state's key construction projects, improving people's living standards, promoting employment and ensuring a sustainable economic development. The State Council can submit bills to the NPC or its Standing Committee for approval on extraordinary large projects which involve huge investment and exert far-reaching influences, the decision said. The fifth article of the Decision provides that the signing or abrogating of any economic treaties and agreements with foreign countries or international organizations, provided they should be approved by the NPC standing committee in line with relevant legal procedures, the State Council should submit the bill to the effect for examination and approval. Legal experts believed that the Decision has laid a basis for formulating the country's supervision law and will be convenient for local people's congresses to exercise supervision over the economic work of governments at the corresponding level. |