BEIJING -- China's central government spent 7.43 billion yuan (1.19 billion U.S. dollars) on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips last year, down about 20 percent from previous year, a government report said here Thursday.

The amount was also 559 million yuan less than the budgeted figure, said the State Council's report on the central government's final accounts for 2012.

The report was submitted to the ongoing bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Money on officials' overseas trips totaled 1.95 billion yuan in 2012, 200 million yuan less than the budgeted figure, while 4.07 billion yuan was spent on vehicles, 281 million yuan less, and 1.41 billion yuan on receptions, 78 million yuan less, the report said.

In 2011, central government spending on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips stood at 9.36 billion yuan.

The report attributed the reduction to central government departments' efforts to practice prudence and cut costs.

In 2011, the central government first published the actual figures of spending on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips in its final accounts report for 2010. Government spending in these areas has long been the center of public concerns because of misuse of public money.