What is the overall progress of my country's budget disclosure in recent years? Ministry of Finance response

　　China News Service, March 26. According to the Ministry of Finance website, on March 26, the 2024 central department budgets will be disclosed to the public. What is the overall progress of my country's budget disclosure in recent years? When answering reporters' questions on this issue, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Finance said that in recent years, the Ministry of Finance has conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and continued to promote new progress in my country's budget disclosure.

　　On the one hand, we continue to strengthen top-level design and improve the budget disclosure system framework. Establish a basic system for budget disclosure by promoting the revision of the Budget Law and its Implementing Regulations, and requesting the State Council to issue decisions on deepening the reform of the budget management system and opinions on further deepening the reform of the budget management system. Submit to the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council to issue opinions on further promoting budget disclosure and clarify the main tasks and specific requirements for budget disclosure. On the other hand, we will continue to intensify our efforts and advance the budget disclosure work in an orderly manner. By refining requirements, improving mechanisms, and strengthening assessments, we will organize central budget disclosure, actively guide and urge local governments to make budget disclosure, and continue to improve the scientificity, standardization, and accessibility of budget disclosure.

　　In terms of central budget disclosure. First, the central government budget is made public. In 2009, the central government budget was released for the first time, including four tables: the central fiscal revenue budget table, the central fiscal expenditure budget table, the central government expenditure budget table, and the central government's local tax return and transfer payment budget table. In 2010, the scope of central government budget disclosure expanded to 12 tables including general public budget, government fund budget and state-owned capital operation budget. In 2018, the budget of the Central Social Security Fund was further made public. In 2019, 42 additional regional status tables of central-to-local transfer payment projects were released. In 2022, the scope of disclosure will be further expanded and the regional status tables of 46 central-to-local transfer payment projects will be made public. The second is the disclosure of budgets of central departments. In 2008, 11 departments including the Ministry of Science and Technology were selected to carry out pilot projects for internal disclosure of departmental budgets, and departmental budgets were disclosed within the unit through posting and review. In 2010, guidance was issued requiring central departments to implement the main responsibilities of budget disclosure and proactively disclose budgets in a timely manner. A total of 78 central departments disclosed their departmental budgets that year. In 2011, the number of central departments that disclosed their departmental budgets increased to 96, and the budgets of the “three public services” of central departments were disclosed to the public for the first time. In 2013, for the first time, all central department budgets were released in one day. Beginning in 2017, the departmental budgets disclosed by each department on their own department websites will be centrally displayed on the "Central Budget and Final Accounts Disclosure Platform" established on the Ministry of Finance's portal website.

　　In terms of local budget disclosure. First, provincial government budgets are made public. On May 1, 2008, the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Government Information Disclosure" officially came into effect. Since then, provincial governments have begun to proactively disclose government budget information in accordance with regulations. At present, all provincial government budgets have been proactively disclosed. The Ministry of Finance has set up a "Provincial Budget and Final Account Public Column" on the portal website to bring together provincial budget public platforms or columns and display them in the form of map links. The second is the disclosure of provincial department budgets. In 2008, the Ministry of Finance issued the "Guiding Opinions on Further Promoting Fiscal Budget Information Disclosure" to actively promote provincial department budget disclosure, and provincial financial departments also increased organizational guidance. At present, all provinces have centrally disclosed to the public their departmental budgets approved by provincial finance departments. The third is to make budgets below the provincial level public. In 2013, the Ministry of Finance issued the "Notice on Promoting the Disclosure of Budgets and Final Accounts below the Provincial Level" to guide local governments in promoting the disclosure of budgets and final accounts below the provincial level. At present, local governments at all levels have formed a relatively complete budget disclosure mechanism, and organize and actively disclose government budgets and departmental budgets to the public every year. Fourth, the Ministry of Finance strengthens supervision and guidance to local governments. Since 2015, public inspections of local budgets and final accounts have been carried out nationwide for many consecutive years. Improve statistical reporting and assessment mechanisms. Regular statistics on the disclosures of local governments and departments at all levels are made every year, and the statistical results are included in the relevant assessment and evaluation of local finance. At present, local governments and departments at all levels have basically achieved "disclosure whenever necessary". According to statistics, the disclosure rate of the 2023 budget and 2022 final accounts of local governments at all levels is 100%, and the disclosure rate of the 2023 budget and 2022 final accounts of provincial, municipal, and county-level departments has reached more than 99%.