Auditing and supervision make for transparency from "storm''

At the beginning of this month, the National Audit Office released a circumstantial report on the six sectors including the Ministry of Land and Resources and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping with their rectification reports in accordance with the office's suggestions. Some problems unveiled in the report are quite serious, which involves a total sum of more than 7 billion yuan or US$ 846 million. The supervision strength is none less than the past. However the report release has not caused "auditing'' storm from the society. The masses have accepted it while paying high attention to it. The change shows that the openness of the auditing results is quickened and the masses are more mature and sane than before. Auditing and supervision start to be transparent from "storm''.

In recent years, the National Audit Office has made an auditing report to the National People Congress annually, which is like an impetuous storm, exposing quite a little major problems with strong reaction from the society. And yet while the common people praise the "auditing storm'' they also feel some defects in an otherwise perfect character. First, there blows a "storm'' once a year with limited problems unveiled. Still many problems are not made public. So it does not meet people's demand. Second, "auditing storm'' places emphasis on exposing problems with less stress on solving the problems. People are worried about that when the "storm'' is over no actual problems are settled.

Indeed, it is not enough evidently to have one or two "storms'' annually for improving the transparence of the governmental behavior and eradicating the soil nurturing bureaucrats and corruption. Only by a routine system for open auditing can people's right to learn the truth be guaranteed preferably, government and relevant departments be under supervision and the auditing work play a greater role. So the release of auditing results should be made a routine and a system. In recent two years, the National Audit Office has quickened the openness of auditing results. Last year, it published the auditing results of special SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) funds. This year, it has released seven auditing reports involving city's infrastructure construction, funds for agriculture support, education expenditure, taxation collection and management and budget performance. According to the office, greater openness for publishing auditing results will be witnessed in coming years. The office will strive for making all auditing items public with the exception of the State and commercial secrets.

It is of significance to push forward the system of publishing auditing results, to report the progress of the auditing work truthfully to the government, the National People's Congress, and to build a government under the rule of law. The openness and transparence of auditing results are beneficial to making the governmental behaviors come out into the open and reducing power departments to be in black-case work in order to prevent corruption and bureaucracy. In the mean time, the auditing offices at all levels can expose important problems existed in governmental and financial departments and enterprises, which contributes to standardized governmental budget management, improving returns on financial funds, promoting the setup of stable financial operation mechanism and safeguarding the safety of state property.

Of course, exposing problems is not an ultimate goal. It is fundamental to settle problems and curb these problems from coming into being. In this aspect, the auditing departments have strengthened follow-up of the problems they found and publish the rectification conditions of audited units to the public. As a result, the attitude of the audited units has been improved and the audited units would not cover up their problems and rectify them one by one. The heart-warming changes make people more confident. Under the open, transparent and all-round supervision mechanism, governmental departments will preferably perform their duties according to law with their governmental behavior being more scientific, transparent and effective, try their best to rule the government for the people and do not pursue their own interests.

By People's Daily Online