Role of Media Coverage in Keeping Lid on Government Expenses

Information monopoly of bureaucrats helps them maximize discretionary budget. Public disclosure of budget can alleviate information asymmetry between government and the public and empower public supervision on government budget. With information intermediary function and reputational governance function, the media exert a budget intervention effect in the public disclosure of government budget, which further increases the effect of government budget disclosure. This paper investigates how media reports influence "three public expenses"(TPE) budget planning of central government departments by examining media reports on the disclosure of budget and final accounts and using TPE budget as a proxy variable for discretionary budget of bureaucrats. We have reached the following findings:(1) The higher the TPE budget implementation rate, the greater budget growth will be. But this correlation can be restrained by media attention;(2) Different stance of the media may exert different governance effects on TPE budget. Good news about TPE may motivate bureaucrats to restrain the positive impact of TPE budget implementation on budget growth. However, bad news about TPE will exert its budget intervention effect only when administrative governance mechanism intervenes. This study has broadened research on the media's governance effect from the perspective of government budget transparency and verified that under China's unique institutional background, the media may still play a positive role in public sector governance.

An inspection on the Gini coefficient of the budget educational public expenditure per student for China's basic education

Using statistical data on the implementing conditions of China's educational expenditure published by the state,this paper studies the Gini coefficient of the budget educational public expenditure per student in order to examine the concentration degree of the educational expenditure for China's basic education and analyze its balanced development condition.As the research shows,China's basic education is undergoing an unbalanced development due to diversified factors,which is mainly reflected as follows:firstly,the budget educational public expenditure presents a four-tiered appearance of the strong,the less strong,the less weak and the weak,which lead to a great discrepancy between the two opposing extremes;secondly,the compulsory education in rural areas is still confronted with great difficulties;thirdly,the general senior secondary education is loaded with the crisis of unbalance.Therefore,it is necessary to construct a balanced development policy framework of the basic education and pay close attention to the benefit and effectiveness of the educational input.In addition,it is also important to clearly stipulate the criterion of the government's educational allocation and to support the disadvantaged areas in order to promote the balanced development of the basic education.

TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS:HOW CAN IT BE FINANCED?

The paper provides a review of the work on financing the transformation of food systems done by the author and colleagues at IFPRI.The analysis discusses the objectives of that transformation(related to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement)and shows estimates of the costs involved.Then it presents an evaluation of the existing financial flows and their potential scaling up,using a broader view of six main flows involved:two that are internal to food systems(consumer expenditures on food and related items,which are the main source of revenue(as sales)for the variety of actors on the supply side of food systems);and four that are external(international development funds,public budgets,banking systems,and capital markets).The paper notes that although current funding does not reach the scale needed to finance the desired transformation of food systems,there are sufficient potential financial resources available in the aggregate to achieve such transformation.However,to mobilize the existing potential funds the paper discussed several things that need to be done,starting with an adequate macroeconomic and overall incentive framework to guide both the internal flows related to consumption and production decisions,as well as the four external ones.The paper also suggested other possible interventions to mobilize,reorient,and increase the financial flows to the desired objectives.It further noted that the costs and financing,which in the paper were discussed at the global level,must be estimated at the country level,as part of the design and implementation of adequate national plans for equitable,healthy and sustainable food systems.