City rules to improve business environment

Regulations aimed at improving Shanghai’s business environment came into force on Friday.

Legislators approved the regulations at the 20th meeting of the 15th Municipal People's Congress on Friday morning, highlighting the importance of developing Shanghai as an international metropolis with global influence.

There are 80 specific regulations making clear the principle and requirements of Shanghai's business environment development consistent with the city's actual situation.

According to the regulations, the city shall ensure equal treatment of all kinds of market entities, offer legal protection to all market entities in terms of market access, and will focus more on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and investors, and protecting their legitimate rights and interests.

In addition, the one-stop online platform offering government services will be promoted in a comprehensive manner. The city will enhance the deep integration of online and offline services, consolidate public data resources, and optimize the processes of government services.

There are also regulations targeted at optimizing public services, enhancing supervision and enforcement of the regulations, and promoting the establishment of a legal guarantee system for the business environment.

At present, the city focuses on coordinating prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting economic and social development. 

The regulations can be conducive to stimulating social investment, promoting economic recovery, and achieving high-quality economic and social development, said Ding Wei, chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of Shanghai People's Congress Standing Committee.

In recent years, the city has implemented three rounds of reforms to optimize the business environment, and has built a long-term mechanism to improve it. 

As a sample city for the World Bank's Doing Business survey, Shanghai has helped propel China's ranking up for two consecutive years. 

On January 2, the city's Party committee and the municipal government held a conference on improving the business environment and promoting investment, at which they launched the implementation plan for Shanghai to promote the construction of an international first-class business environment.