China received a total of 107 billion yuan (12.9 billion US dollars) in donations from both home and abroad in 2008, 3.5 times the figure of 2007, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in Beijing on Tuesday.

But the figure did not include donations from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, according to a report released by the ministry and the Zhongmin Charity Donation Information Center.

About 77 percent of the donations have already been put to use, primarily to help people affected by the snow and rain disasters in south China in January and February 2008 and the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in southwest China on May 12. More than 47.66 million people benefited from the donation, the report said.

More than 6,000 people volunteered for charity work in 2008, up 31.8 percent compared with 2007, according to the report.

About 95.55 billion yuan, or 90 percent of the donation was received by the civil affairs departments at all levels, China Red Cross Society and China Charity Federation, said the report.

"The Chinese government played an essential role in fundraising for snow and rain disasters and the earthquake," said the report, "It will continue to do a great job in promoting charity work in 2009."

The report said information concerning donation and charity work should be made more transparent to keep the public better informed about charity work.

The government will also make charity a new field for increasing job opportunities in 2009, according to the report.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2009)