The National Audit Office (NAO) issued its 2006-2010 Five-Year Audit Development Program on Friday, saying China will continue to explore new and more effective methods of auditing provincial and ministerial officials over the next five years.

"China's audit bodies will reinforce auditing of officials at all levels of government and in the Communist Party of China as well as leaders of state-owned enterprises," said the program.

It said the country is improving and extending the audit system nationwide and endeavoring to make it more transparent.

Results of the country's annual audits, apart from classified information concerning national intelligence, will be made public in 2010, according to the program.

The NAO identified misappropriations of 5.51 billion yuan of central budget funds by 48 central government departments in 2005.

China has been making a sustained effort to improve its auditing system. The new Audit Law, passed in February and put into effect on June 1, has boosted the authority of audit departments and helped ensure a better implementation of budget plans, Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2006)