Multiply business sites to be allowed under a single license

Ti Gong

Changning District on Thursday issued the city's first batch of business licenses that allow companies, including those from abroad, to operate in multiple addresses across the city.

Thanks to the “one license with more addresses” trial scheme, firms based in the downtown district, especially Internet startups, will be able to expand more rapidly.

Meanwhile, residents will get easier access to more outlets and service stations of these companies near their communities, according to the district government.

The "multiple addresses" under a single license can mainly include the companies' delivery and reception stations, warehouses and after-sales service sites, said Yu Peigang, director with the registration department of Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce.

"The practice is expected to free the business vitality and drive the enthusiasm of investors and entrepreneurs," Yu told a press conference.

Under the scheme, which Yu said is expected to be promoted citywide, Changning-based companies with multiple outlets or branches do not need to apply for multiple licenses for each as is the case elsewhere in the city.

The initiative specially aims to benefit the "Internet plus life service" industry as well as to push the “entrepreneurship and innovation” campaign, said Zhuang Zisheng, director with the market supervision bureau of Changning.

The district government launched a trial operation in June 2016 to allow only domestic companies to operate multiple branches within Changning under a single business license.

The expanded policy introduced on Thursday involves "Internet-related" foreign companies, which is also a nationwide initiative, according to Yu.

Tommy Hilfiger, the American clothing brand, is among the first four companies to receive the innovative business license from the head of the Changning government.

"Apart from online stores, our major business model is to open outlets across the city, so the initiative largely benefit our operation by cutting the application time and allowing us to expand more rapidly," said Tai Lee Yang, vice president of finance and operation with PVH China.

The procedures and materials required have also been simplified, as the companies only need to add the addresses of their outlets on the business license, said Zhuang.

"Freshness is vital to online fresh food vendors. The scheme allows us open more delivery stations citywide to ensure the freshness of our products," said Zhou Hui, vice president of Shanghai Yiguo E-commerce Co, the nation's largest online fresh food vendor that also received the license for its logistic arm, Exfresh, yesterday.

The initiative shortens the application process from at least a month to within a day, Zhou said.

However, it doesn't mean the companies will face less supervision, said Zhuang. The market watchdog, along with the industry and commerce authority, will carry out both regular and random checks on outlets and branches, especially on food safety and product quality, Zhuang added.