The government should make it clear to the public why the amendment to the budget law has been delayed since 1997, said an article in the Southern Metropolis Daily (excerpts below).

It is reported that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has not included discussing an amendment to the Budget Law for its conference from Aug 26 to 30 in Beijing.

The public believe that the law, formulated in 1994, must be amended as soon as possible to strengthen the supervision of the making and execution of government budgets.

Government revenues have been growing rapidly recently.

To curtail excessive expenditure, the National People's Congress should exercise its due powers to hold government officials breaching the Budget Law responsible.

However, under the current Budget Law, governments at various levels need not be concerned as the law is largely a regulation focusing on balances.

The National People's Congress does not have real binding power to regulate, control and supervise the governments' misconduct in making and implementing budgets.

Some departments, it is said, are strongly resisting amending the law from a regulation file to one with real binding power.

There must be a functional law that is observed when dealing with budgets at all levels.