Team makes business registration increasingly convenient
An official with the Qingpu District Administration for Market Regulation presents a food operation license to a CIIE exhibitor.
A supreme business environment to serve the high-quality development of the regional economy is the ceaseless pursuit of the registration department of the Qingpu District Administration for Market Regulation.
The team of 19 has provided meticulous services to businesses, and improved the review and approval process for business applicants in licensing over the past years, making business registration increasingly convenient.
They have spared no effort in promoting paperless registration. The whole e-process review and approval has covered areas such as food production licenses and the registration of medical apparatus and instruments.
By promoting the use of electronic operating licenses and seals, team officials exempt applicants from multiple visits to submit materials.
The e-versions of licenses and seals have the same legal power as physical licenses and seals, the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation said.
By the end of October, more than 6,000 companies have obtained business licenses via the e-licensing system since this year.
The dissolution process of enterprises has also been improved, cutting their dissolution registration time.
The team has also stepped up the establishment of integrated registration mechanisms in the Yangtze River Delta region, providing cross-area registration and single-window issuing services.
A registration service station has been set up at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, an exhibition and trading service platform for the China International Import Expo, to provide tailored one-stop services to exhibitors and relevant companies.
An exhibitor displays a food operation license.
Another two similar stations were established in May at the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone and Qingpu Industrial Zone. The former provides cross-area review and approval services for business applicants, mainly serving the Zhujiajiao, Jinze and Liantang ancient towns.
They provide one-stop services for various registration affairs, enabling businesses to obtain business licenses and various permits within the stations.
Under combined efforts and measures, the review and approval time for business licenses has been cut to within two days and even hours.
During the third China International Import Expo, the first business license and food operation license for an exhibitor was issued to a New Zealand-funded company, with the review and approval process taking less than two hours.
The application materials were submitted to the Qingpu District Administration for Market Regulation at 8:30am on Thursday at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the CIIE venue. The license was issued at 10am thanks to license review and approval reforms at the district's market watchdog.
The reforms exempt food businesses, excluding high-risk food companies, from on-the-spot inspections, replacing them with a commitment system. If enterprises commit to certain affairs and submit relevant materials, authorities will issue licenses to them first and make inspections afterward.
Traditional procedures can take up to a month before a business license or a food operation license is issued, involving at least two visits and on-site inspections.
"The approval speed is amazing," said Xu Shujun, a representative of Shanghai Aojing Trade Co Ltd, the company which received the licenses. The company has a display booth at the Food and Agricultural Products exhibition area of the import expo.
The company will sell a variety of New Zealand specialty food such as honey, milk powder and peanut butter at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, an exhibition and trading service platform for the import expo, after obtaining the licenses.
The reform cuts licensing review and approval time significantly, opening a green channel for high-quality overseas products to enter the China market, according to Qingpu District authorities.
"Thanks to the astonishing efficiency of market authorities, our exhibits can be turned into commodities quickly," Xu said.
Zhang Mei, deputy director of the registration department, added: "Before the import expo, we already started collecting the demands of exhibitors and foreign-funded enterprises on licensing, and provided tailoring consultation services for them.
"Our meticulous soft service and efficiency helped attract business investment and improve the business environment continuously."
During the coronavirus outbreak, the administration allowed applicants to submit videos online to replace on-site checks when new food, medicine, and medical apparatus and instruments businesses licenses were needed. Reviews were completed the same day.
"The non-contact review improves efficiency and prevents the spread of the coronavirus," said Zhang.
With the epidemic waning in China, the practise is being maintained to create a better business environment for enterprises, according to Zhang.
