How much do CPPCC meetings cost? $9 million
0 
China's top political advisory body has taken the lead in disclosing accounts of its spending amid growing calls from lawmakers and political advisers for detailed information about the country's expenditures.
The General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) announced on Monday that its 2010 annual session cost 59 million yuan ($9 million).
It was the first time such spending figures have been released to the public. The disclosure came after a journalist raised a question about spending to Zhao Qizheng, spokesman of the CPPCC National Committee, on Wednesday last week at a press conference.
Zhao answered that he could not immediately put a figure on government expenditures.
"Please allow me to ask my colleagues and send you an email or text message afterwards," he said.
The Beijing-based China Youth Daily reported that the journalist received a response on Monday.
The 59-million-yuan figure mainly accounted for money spent on the 2,237 CPPCC national committee members, workers at the session and hotel stays that took place during the 10-day event, according to the news bureau of the CPPCC National Committee.
"It's news to me that the cost was made public," Zhao Shuyue, a CPPCC National Committee member said. "But it doesn't hurt to make it transparent. The public has the right to know how much money was spent and what it was spent on."
"It's a good way of proving we don't waste money and that we welcome public scrutiny," he said.
"The Chinese public not only needs to know the government's budget plans, but more importantly, it needs to know how much the government actually spends, as well as what things and purposes that money is put toward," said Chen Shu, a deputy to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.
