The non-governmental team consists of 62 people in 20 groups, all of whom are professors and students from the Beijing-based Renmin University of China and Nankai University in Tianjin.

The random checks, which are due to be completed on October 10, include two kinds of surveys targeting 100 cities and 10,000 households, and will be conducted through questionnaires and home visits.

The purpose of the survey is to make sure local governments have distributed the full amount of basic living subsidies timely to all qualified urban needy and to find out where the heaviest economic burden is for the majority of urban poor.

"Compared with past checks made by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, this inspection is the first to be completed by a non-governmental force," said Yang Yanyin, vice-minister of civil affairs.

"The effort will make our work more transparent and better demonstrate the country's determination in pushing forward the basic security system."

According to Yang, inspection reports will be handed in directly to the State Council, China's cabinet, and will serve as a major reference for the ministry to improve its work efficiency and quality.

As of June 30, a total of 19.3 million Chinese, eligible to receive a minimum living allowance, have been granted this subsidy, the first time China has managed to hand out funds to its urban needy.

To consolidate this achievement, the ministry recorded detailed information of every recipient for inspection.

After a pilot program in Shanghai in 1993, the basic security system targeting urban dwellers who exist on a per capita monthly income below the official lowest average of 152 yuan (US$18.3) was introduced across China in 1997.

The civil affairs ministry also pledged earlier this year to raise the minimum living allowance in China's major cities.

However, the benefits are far from covering all those in need. A recent national survey found that there are some 14 million impoverished urban residents in the nation and by the end of last year, only 4.16 million were receiving the minimum living allowance.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2002)