SHENZHEN government’s spending on vehicles, overseas trips and receptions dropped by 15.9 percent last year compared with the previous year’s figure amid the country’s frugality campaign, according to a meeting of the city’s legislature Wednesday.

    The government spent 531 million yuan (US$84 million) on receptions, public vehicles and overseas trips, 100 million yuan less than in 2012, the local finance commission said in an official report on government final accounts for 2013 submitted to the city’s legislature for review.

    Yet the city government’s spending was still 8 million yuan over budget.

    Last year’s spending on overseas trips totaled 28 million yuan, declining by 29.2 percent compared with 2012. The city government used 430 million yuan and 73 million yuan, respectively, for vehicles and receptions.

    Local revenue reached 173.1 billion yuan last year, increasing 16.8 percent compared with 2012.

    China has long been bedeviled by officials tapping into expense accounts to vacation abroad in the name of official visits, driving work vehicles on personal errands and enjoying luxurious receptions and accommodations. These three forms of corruption are known as the “three public consumptions.”

    (Martin Li, Chen Yue)