20090103 No major misuse of quake relief funds: National Audit Office

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn Relief funds and supplies for survivors of last May's earthquake have by and large been well-managed and spent, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. But a number of minor issues were of concern, according to the report released on its website on New Year's Eve - the fourth since the disaster, which killed about 70,000. About 59.273 billion yuan has been received in donations for earthquake survivors by governments, companies, groups and individuals from home and abroad. But across the nation, questions have been raised as to how exactly the funds have been, or are being, spent. Anti-corruption officials and nearly 10,000 auditors have worked in quake-hit areas, trying to respond to public concerns by monitoring relief funds and materials through early intervention. The NAO said its next project is auditing reconstruction efforts in quake zones.