Delegates from the People's Liberation Army are urging officials to implement a constant audit of this year's military budget, which increased by 12.7 per cent over last year.
The proper spending of the defence budget has become a big topic among PLA deputies at the National People's Congress in Beijing, with some emphasising the importance of a comprehensive audit to root out military commanders involved in misappropriating funds, arbitrarily changing drill expenditures, unreasonable overspending as well as illegal construction and real estate development projects.
'More money is a good thing, but the most important thing is how to use the money properly and let our people rest assured,' Lieutenant General Pei Huailiang , former president of the National Defence University, had told an NPC panel meeting on Tuesday in Beijing, the PLA Daily reported.
Pei suggested the PLA get rid of the top officers' illogical practice of fighting for benefits only for their own group and be more aware of other departments' needs. 'We should try our best to make sure the money will be well spent, which aims at improving our army's combat effectiveness,' he was cited as saying.
Another PLA deputy, Lieutenant General Chen Zhangyuan, suggested the army become more 'diligent and thrifty' and agreed that constant auditing was necessary.
The army's top brass - the Central Military Commission - started a five-year audit of all expenses concerning military drills and other related construction projects in the army in May.
A Shanghai-based PLA senior colonel said that military drills, which involved procurement and logistics functions, had become a hotbed for corruption.