The nation's top advisors have urged governments at all levels to stop overspending, extravagance and waste that gobble up taxpayers' hard-earned money.

Lavish spending by governments at all levels, rising costs of administration, even wasting food are being discussed by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top advisory body.

And the central government says that it is listening and understands the people's indignation.

"We will promote performance evaluations, oppose waste, extravagance and frivolous squandering of funds, and promote the building of an economical society," according to the 2006 budget report, which is being examined by legislators and advisors.

Governments at all levels spent at least 1 trillion yuan (US$125 billion) in banqueting and building grand offices in 2005, about 30 percent of the national revenue of 3.16 trillion yuan, said Huang Wenzai, citing media reports. He is a member of the CPPCC.

According to the National Audit Office, 290 billion yuan (US$36.7 billion) was spent by government organs at all levels in 2005, about 10 percent of the national fiscal income, Huang said.

He told the CPPCC the figure would be more astonishing, if improperly spent sums were added.

Huang proposed a supervision law on government spending, and political, administrative or even criminal penalties of officials wasting public funds.

Auditing departments subordinate to the government should be affiliated to the National People's Congress, Huang said. He called for a special NPC auditing commission to monitor the expenditure of public funds.

He also called for a national taxpayers' day, when authorities who collect and spend taxes are obliged to respond to the people who pay taxes.

The public will be encouraged to report any extravagance and waste to the new auditing commission, Huang said.

Ren Yuling, another advisor, expressed concern about rising spending on administrative matters.

The volume of administrative expenditure has increased 87 times since 1978, when China adopted the reform and opening-up policy, according to Ren. He said hard work and frugality should be maintained among members of the Communist Party of China.

The volume, growing at an annual rate of 23 percent in recent years, accounted for about 19 percent of the national fiscal expenditure in 2003, much higher than the 9.9 percent in the United States and 2.38 percent in Japan, Ren reported.

He urged curtailing the administrative spending budget, reducing unnecessary official conferences and forums, limiting financial privileges of senior leaders, and reinforcing fiscal supervision.

Legal action should also be taken to control rampant food waste, said Yu Xiaowen, an advisor from Shaanxi Province in northwest China.