Audit report shows China fixed 94 pct of fiscal irregularities

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- China has rectified 94 percent of the issues identified in an audit report, the country's top auditor announced Sunday.

As of the end of September, the rectification process has involved a total of 538 billion yuan (about 74.8 billion U.S. dollars) of funds, said Hou Kai, auditor general of the National Audit Office (NAO), while presenting the audit rectification report at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

China's audit authorities usually release the audit work report in the middle of the year, followed by a year-end rectification report addressing the issues identified in the audit.

Lin Hai, an official with the NAO, said that rectification of major issues has in general progressed smoothly, adding that the process addressed some institutional problems that were hindering the country's high-quality development and social and economic stability.

Issues concerning nutritious meals for rural students, revealed previously in the audit work report, have attracted widespread attention.

Sunday's report showed that, as of the end of September, the rectification of issues related to special funds allocated for rural students' nutritious meals involved approximately 4 billion yuan, with 1,200 individuals held accountable.

Lin said that the NAO would continue to follow up on the progress of the relevant rectifications. ■