The Chengdu municipal government has so far spent 776 million yuan of 1.068 billion raised in donations following the Wenchuan earthquake, city Finance Bureau Chief Li Jie said on May 4. In Sichuan Province as a whole 2.044 billion yuan has been spent.

The money includes donations raised by the city government, other official bodies, social groups and non-governmental organizations, said Li.

Li said 67 million yuan was spent on disaster relief work and 181 million yuan on reconstruction. In compliance with donors' specific instructions, 528 million yuan was shared between 140 badly hit organizations including Juyuan middle school in Dujiangyan city, and the education bureau of Shifang City.

Chengdu has set up a special organization to manage the use of donations. Collection and distribution of funds must comply with strict rules to ensure contributions are used effectively. Public inspection of accounts was introduced to guarantee transparent use of donated funds.

Li said that in Sichuan as a whole, 2.044 billion yuan had been raised and distributed, of which 171 million yuan was spent on temporary housing, 1.166 billion on allowances and pensions for people living in difficulty, 178 million on care for the injured and medical and sanitation assistance, 323 million on emergency repairs and restoration of basic services, and 206 million on other expenses.

(China.org.cn by Xiang Bin, May 6, 2009)