China has uncovered 15.85 billion yuan (about US$2 billion) of unwarranted collection of fees in the country's education, health and farming sectors in the past five years, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

A massive 6.85 billion yuan (about US$901 million) of unwarranted school fees have been charged to unlucky parents since 2002, and 2.98 billion yuan has been returned to the victims.

China uncovered more than 80,000 cases of overcharging in the health sector, involving 4 billion yuan of illegal gains, according to the NDRC report.

During the NDRC's eight nationwide inspections in the agriculture sector over the last five years, government officials detected 5 billion yuan of arbitrary collection of charges to farmers and have since reimbursed farmers 4 billion yuan.

The education, health and farming sectors have generated a lot of public complaints in recent years because of inflated school fees, extortionate medical treatment, and overcharging of farmers under many guises.

According to the NDRC, the government scrutiny has helped quell new forms of illegal overcharging. The NDRC said the government will continue its campaign against overcharging this year, especially in sectors such as education and medical treatment.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)