Shanghai sets up key priorities for progress

On the morning of the first working day after the Spring Festival in 2019, Shanghai held a work conference focusing on optimizing the business environment, at which the city's Party Secretary Li Qiang stressed that the business environment can always be better and always requires further improvement.

A new implementation plan for further optimization of the business environment was officially released last month of which the key points are as follows.

Ⅰ. Deepen reforms in accordance with the standards of the World Bank

1. Starting a business

   - Optimize the one-stop service platform

   - Go paperless in the whole process

   - Ensure convenience in every procedure of starting a business

2. Applying for construction permits

   - Further improve the classified regulation mode

   - Promote all-round reforms on the examination and approval system of construction projects

3. Access to electricity

   - Set up an online service platform for getting access to electricity

   - Reduce the frequency and time of non-systematic blackouts

4. Property registration

   - Offer online services and allow applicants to go offline for at most one time

   - Promote a new mode of immediate self-service information searching on registration of real estate

5. Cross-border trade

   - Add more functions of the “single window" services for Shanghai's international trade

   - Go paperless in the whole process of port operation

   - Optimize the insurance system for tariffs

   - Cut the time required to pass the customs

6. Taxes

   - Improve the policies on the public accumulation fund for housing

   - Offer online services for the application of higher-level tax services

Ⅱ. Push forward innovation in systems

1. Promote one-stop online government services

   - Cut in half both the time and the documents required for administrative approval

   - Newly add 100 personal affairs that can be approved on the one-stop platform

   - Improve and restructure the procedure of 100 affairs

2. Further promote the reform of "Separating Operating Permits and Business Licenses"

3. Actively improve the regulation system

   - Explore and improve the fault-tolerant mechanism in administration

   - Minor operating violations that happen for the first time shall be exempted from administrative punishment in accordance with the law

Ⅲ. Strengthen services for specific entities

1. Enhance support for small- and medium-sized enterprises

   - Implement 27 measures to support the private economy

2. Enhance the protection of intellectual property

3. Set up a more optimized exit mechanism for market entities

   - Solve the problems and difficulties for companies in de-registration and bankruptcy filing

Ⅳ. Promote cooperation in developing the business environment

1. Cooperation among various government departments

2. Communication between the authorities and the market

3. Connection between government authorities and academic associations