Stealing of poverty alleviation aid is a crime

MORE THAN 3,000 WELL-OFF RESIDENTS in impoverished Mashan county, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were "mistakenly" qualified for the local poverty alleviation fund, said the National Audit Office on Oct 8. Comments:

As a part of public finances, the poverty alleviation fund is not only a lifesaver for those in abject poverty, but also a boost to rural development and the integration between urban and less developed areas. It is therefore an unshirkable responsibility for governments at all levels to assign the money to people in need, which has a lot to do with the social justice, efficient governance, and the governments' credibility.

Beijing News, Oct 10