China Uncovers Defalcation of Poverty Relief FundsThe Ministry of Finance Wednesday made public the names of local government departments and officials who are involved in three cases of defalcation of poverty relief funds.The ministry said in a news release that the offenders will be dealt with according to law and disciplined according to government rules. All the diverted funds will be retrieved. The provincial office of poverty alleviation and development in Gansu Province, northwest China, diverted 27.5 million yuan in poverty relief funds to build office and apartment buildings, and buy cars. The provincial office of poverty alleviation and development in Shaanxi Province, also in northwest China, diverted 10.9 million yuan in poverty relief funds to pay for office expenses and facilities. Wang Xiaohong, director of the office of poverty alleviation and development in Yunlian County of Sichuan Province, southwest China, defalcated 1.7 million yuan worth of poverty relief funds in 1997-2000, accounting for nearly two-thirds the relief funds that the central government had given to the county. She misused the government money by purchasing properties, giving bonuses to office staff, and paying for dinners and business trips. The Ministry of Finance has asked authorities concerned to deal with Wang according to law because she also tried to cover up her offenses through illegal ways. The ministry discovered these cases in a February-April inspection of the distribution, management and use of poverty relief funds by local governments in eight provinces and autonomous regions. The central government gives some 25.3 billion yuan worth of poverty relief funds to local governments every year. In order to stamp out misuse of poverty relief funds, the ministry will set up a fund management system at the provincial level, and put the funds directly into the accounts of local units that undertake poverty relief projects. It will also enhance supervision of accounting and step up scrutiny of the efficiency of using poverty relief funds. |
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