(Xinhua/China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-25 09:53

China's top legislature yesterday began reading a draft law that will enact strict supervision of the social security fund.

The draft law was submitted to the weeklong 31st session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for first reading.

Stating the social security fund is composed of five categories - pension insurance, medical insurance, work injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance - it stipulates all funds should be used for specified purposes only, and no institutions or persons had the right to occupy or embezzle the fund.

To make management of the fund more transparent, the draft law asks institutions in charge of social security cases to disclose revenue, expenditure, balance and earnings on a regular basis.

"Only after the safety of the social security fund can be guaranteed, can the fund be used for investment operation to maintain and increase the fund value," the draft bill says.

In June, Shanghai courts started hearing cases against officials involved in the social security fund scandal that involved 3.7 billion yuan (US$502.3 million).

Investigators found the money had been illegally loaned by a subsidiary of the municipal labor and social security bureau to Shanghai Feidian Investment Development Co Ltd.

The company was controlled by tycoon Zhang Rongkun, ranked 16th on the Forbes China rich list in 2005, who was arrested during the investigation into the misuse of pension funds.

The draft law says all governments above the county level should establish supervisory systems to safeguard the secure and efficient operation of the fund.

Any embezzlement activities would be punished or investigated under the law, the draft says.

It also states finance departments and audit offices should administrate the security fund levels corresponding to their responsibilities.

If the security fund was embezzled, the social security administration departments, financial departments and audit offices should recover the siphoned funds.

Illegal income earned from embezzled social security funds should be confiscated and personnel involved punished according to the law.