Members of people's congresses should learn to read budget reports

The core issue of budget democracy is putting government budgets under effective supervision of people who can read the budget, says an editorial in the Southern Metropolis Daily. Excerpt:

The members of People's Congresses at various levels play important roles in the process. That the Guangdong People's Congress invited 14 financial experts to train the congress's members beginning on Sept 22 sets a good example because the move allows the people's congress' supervision of the government budget to fulfill its duty.

As the people's awareness of taxpayer identity and budget knowledge has risen in the past 10 years, society has begun to demand that people's congresses at various levels supervise the government's forming and execution of their budgets, which is a good starting point in the fight against government corruption and power abuses.

However, it is a fact that most members of people's congresses do not have the expertise and knowledge to read the government’s professional and sketchy budget reports.

It is a good beginning that provincial people's congresses are giving their members the means to help them fulfill their legal duties to the people, a development that can motivate the government to behave itself.