CHINA’S top auditor yesterday disclosed details of its July report that unveiled governments had misappropriated funds totaling almost 7 billion yuan (US$902 million) and mismanaged more than 37 billion yuan.

The report, posted on the official Web site of the National Audit Office, revealed budgetary loopholes in 49 central departments in 2006, including the country’s top State-owned asset supervisor and China’s top economic planning body.

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission was found to have misused 51.91 million yuan during 2004 to 2006, which were mainly used for paying fees to auditing companies, funding overseas business trips, and training programs which were not listed in its proposed budgets, the report said.

The National Development and Reform Commission was blamed for taking 13.4 million yuan in “sponsor fees” from companies, auditors said.

The commission received 8.4 million yuan from 23 companies during its two exhibitions in 2005. The Office of the Western Region Development of the State Council, a body under the commission, last year took 5 million yuan from China Petrochemical Corp. when the office was raising funds for a project in western China.

Another 49.38 million yuan in construction funds was also misappropriated by the commission while it held up 20.10 million yuan of relocation compensation, the report said.

Two State departments — China Banking Regulatory Commission and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration — cheated the central budgetary funds out of a combined 31.69 million yuan by reporting fabricated projects.

The China Green Food Development Center, a subordinate body under the Ministry of Agriculture, was criticized for improperly taking money from companies in return for endorsing their products.

The center used an overdue license to endorse green food products after it received almost 396 million yuan from companies in 2006 with an outdated charging standard.

The Ministry of Finance received 2.09 million yuan in central budgetary funds by listing twice for the same project while it bought more than 11 million yuan worth of mutual funds without the approval of the National Debt Association.

China’s Supreme Court had major budget blowouts on business trips and infrastructure projects among its subordinates. About 10.64 million yuan was misused.

The Foreign Ministry was singled out for charging 62 million yuan in excess fees for visas, noting that the average amount charged was twice the cost.

The Public Security Bureau was accused of misusing 6.3 million yuan in public funds.

(SD-Agencies)