They said Shanghai is one of the first cities to demand the fund be put into a special account, as required by top authorities.

In recent weeks, a pension fund scandal has gripped the city and led to the sacking of Shanghai Party chief Chen Liangyu and China's top statistician Qiu Xiaohua.

Shanghai authorities are now investigating Yuan Yonglin, president and deputy chairman of the board of the listed Shanghai Haixin Group.

But an effective supervisory mechanism and transparent management are still needed to eradicate malfeasance and embezzlement, the scholars and experts said.

The guideline, issued during Monday's municipal government meeting, requires the fund to be deposited in an account specially opened for the money, and its income and expenditure should be independent. It also required the fund be used only for specific purposes.

"The proper management and use of social security funds, in defending against all possible risks of abuse, is an extremely important and urgent task," said a statement from the meeting.

China's social security funds have witnessed an average increase of 20 per cent annually over the past years, posing new administrative challenges.

1

2

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)