BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A top official from the Ministry of Supervision on Thursday urged the Beijing municipal government to strengthen supervision over Olympic venue construction to avoid corruption.

    "Projects for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games should be projects' in the sun'," said deputy Minister Huang Shuxian at a meeting with local officials and operators of the four venues under construction.

    He made the remarks after an inspection tour of the construction site of the National Stadium and the National Swimming Center in north Beijing.

    Huang, also director of the Supervision Commission for the 2008Games, praised supervision efforts made by the municipal government as construction of the first batch of Olympic venues has got underway smoothly.

    "It is a good beginning," he said.

    The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Auditing has finished comprehensive auditing reports over public bidding of five Olympic projects including the National Stadium, the Olympic Village and the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center and is ready to submit them to the supervision commission, said Yang Xiaochao, the bureau director.

    Venue construction will be in full swing this year as 11 gymnasiums and their accessory facilities are expected to break ground.

    "All of the project spending is required to strictly adhere to the authorized budget," said Zhou Yuzhen, vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Supervision.

    Every project is required to receive independent auditing and supervision from authorities in the process of bidding and construction, he added.

    Zhou, also a member of the Beijing Municipal Olympic Venue Construction Supervision Leading Group established last month, said a supervision information network to oversee Olympic venue construction will be completed by April this year.

    A total of 35 venues will be used during the 2008 Olympics, including 30 in Beijing and five in Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang, Tianjin and Shanghai.

    Beijing has vowed to complete the construction of Olympic venues by the end of 2006. Enditem