Latest action plan for better business environment
Shanghai has released the latest version of an action plan to optimize the city's business environment.
The plan sets the direction for the city to improve the environment for doing business in an all-round manner and promoting integration innovation.
Highlighted in the overall requirements are to constantly make efforts to build an international first-class business environment with the most convenient trade and investment, the highest administrative efficiency, the most standardized government services, and the most complete law system.
It also sets the target to build Shanghai into a benchmark city for domestic business environment, and further enhance the international influence of the city's business environment.
On deepening the benchmarking reform to enhance the competitiveness of its business environment, the city proposed tasks in 10 areas: market access and exit, acquisition of business premises, application and installation of public infrastructure, labor and employment, access to financial services, cross-border trade, tax payment, dealing with commercial disputes, promoting market competition, and bankruptcy processing.
For example, to facilitate cross-border trade, it encourages shipping companies and port enterprises to carry out paperless switch bill of landing, deepen the online verification of import tariff quotas and pilot the corresponding paperless customs clearance of goods.
Third-party acceptance and inspection of imported commodities will be expanded. It will also strengthen the supervision of port charges, as well as clean up and standardize the whole chain and process charges.
The plan also pledges to expand the "single window" services for international trade, and to enhance the cultivation and services of AEO (authorized economic operator) enterprises.
To optimize life services and enhance the satisfaction of market players, the plan has set tasks in terms of improving government services, policy services, services for enterprises, credit services, protection and use of intellectual property, simplifying certificate affairs, precise and efficient supervision, regulating the supervision and enforcement, and law guarantee.
The full plan can be found on the official website of the government.
Also a major part of the plan is to support key areas to lead innovation and enhance the influence of the business environment.
The Pudong New Area, as an example, is to set up a comprehensive business environment demonstration area, where it will deepen and pilot many reforms and new regulations on building a better environment for businesses. The Lingang Special Area of the pilot free trade zone, meanwhile, is to establish a highland for business environment system innovation.
Zhangjiang Science City and Hongqiao International Central Business District will also develop their distinctive business environment respectively featuring sci-tech innovation and international trade.
And based on the Demonstration Zone for Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta, high-level business environment will also be constructed in the Yangtze River Delta region.
