BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Central Authorities have launched a new round of campaign to crack down on "small coffers" illegally held in the hands of Party and government organizations at different levels.

    This year, Party and government departments that completely rely on the budgetary funds are the first to carry out the work and later, the campaign will involve all nongovernmental organizations, state-run companies, and state-held companies, in a step-by-step way, says a document recently issued by the General Offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.

    The document, known as "Directions on Deepening the Crackdown of Small Exchequers", criticized the illegal phenomenon, emphasizing that in some areas and departments it has occurred frequently or even seriously. "The masses have responded to it strongly," it says.

    It calls these "small coffers" a "cancer" and says they must be eliminated. The illegal phenomenon has resulted in inaccuracy in accounting, disturbance in market order, losses in state income and property and corruption, according to the circular.

    It encourages all units concerned to check the problem by themselves and those that pretend to do so will be punished. It pledges to punish those who try to boycott the campaign or retaliate the tippers.

    Those that are involving huge sum of the illegal treasuries or criminal activities will be handed over to judicial departments in accordance with law, according to the document.

    The Central Authorities have set up a special leading group with members from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Supervision, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Auditing Administration.

    In the late 1990s, the Chinese Authorities conducted the first round of auditing and cracking down on "small coffers" throughout the country.