2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

News> Business> Content
Wednesday, January 03, 2018, 22:43
China to optimize business environment
By Xinhua
Wednesday, January 03, 2018, 22:43 By Xinhua

In this Aug 14, 2015 photo, ships pass by the skyline of the Lujiazui Financial District in Pudong in Shanghai, China. (JOHANNES EISELE / AFP)

BEIJING - The State Council made arrangements to optimize the business environment to stimulate market vitality and social creativity, at an executive meeting Wednesday.     

Premier Li Keqiang, who chaired the meeting, called for universal use of a negative list of sectors and businesses off limits to foreign investment to control market entry.     

Optimizing business environment would help productivity and competitiveness, he said.     

The business environment is the foundation for developing a modern economy and ensuring high-quality development, the premier said.     

There is still much more that we can do to streamline administration, enhance compliance oversight and improve services

Li Keqiang, Chinese Premier

"Greater efforts should be made in streamlining administration, compliance oversight and offering better services. An internationally competitive business environment would have equal treatment for domestic and foreign enterprises and stimulate market entities and social creativity," he said.    

China was ranked the 78th in ease of doing business, according to a 2017 report by the World Bank, up from the 96th place in 2013.     

The government will cut red tapes, reduce taxes and slash fees for enterprises.     

ALSO READ: China to simplify administrative procedures for foreign banks

It was decided at the meeting that more efforts will be made to slash or cancel fees paid by enterprises, including operational and service fees and fees charged by sectoral associations and chambers of commerce. Costs for customs clearance will be lowered.  

The government will further simplify the procedures of administrative review and speed up approval procedures for business start-up, tax payments, application for construction permit and water, electricity and gas services, and real estate registration. The slashing of electricity price will also be a priority.  

A new oversight mechanism characterized by integrity and information disclosure will be established at a faster pace. A unified punishment mechanism for breaches will be improved. An evaluation mechanism for business environment will be established, and rolled out nationwide over time. Special sectoral measures will be unveiled to facilitate the application for construction permits and cross-border trade.     

"There is still much more that we can do to streamline administration, enhance compliance oversight and improve services. We should foster a more enabling business environment to incentivize a visible improvement in the ease of doing business for entrepreneurs, market entities and the general public," Li said.     

READ MORE: China to ease market access controls on foreign investment

A series of measures have been taken by the current government to cut red tape, reduce corporate burdens and improve the business environment. It has canceled or delegated administrative approval by the State Council bodies on 697 items, which account for 45 percent of the total.    

The government also shortened the list of intermediary services for administrative approval by 323 items, or 74 percent of the total, and canceled professional qualification and certification requirements for 434 items, more than 70 percent of the total.    

Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !