"Three-public" expenditures refer to public funds used for dining, official cars, and overseas trips funded by the government.
In Nie Zhenbang's memory, this is a significant problem that plagues the nation. There are various claims on the market. Some exaggerated reports estimate that annually, "Three-public" expenditure exceeds 1.9 trillion Yuan. However, according to the data from the Central Ministry of Finance, the amount is merely 29 billion Yuan. Clearly, both numbers are inaccurate. The former is likely exaggerated, while the latter probably only considers the portion of expenditure from central fiscal budgets. The financial spending of local governments and various departments is not included in the calculation.
According to Nie Zhenbang's estimates, a more reliable figure for the annual "Three-public" expenditure nationwide would likely fall between 600 and 900 billion Yuan.