Raft of new policies set to further boost development across Delta

Seventeen policies to further boost development of the Yangtze River Delta Ecology and Greenery Integration Demonstration Zone across a wide range of sectors were released on Thursday.

They cover practice in disciplines from science and technology innovation and carbon reduction to the business environment and social governance.

The zone, covering 2,413 square kilometers, includes Shanghai's Qingpu District, Wujiang District of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province and Jiashan County in Zhejiang Province.

New impetus will be injected into the science and technology innovation development of the zone, and cross-area high-tech development parks will be established towards the goal.

"Research institutions, universities, social organizations and market entities have strong cooperation desires in science and technology innovation and industry transformation, and the upgrade of the Yangtze River Delta region," Hua Yuan, deputy secretary-general of Shanghai government and director of Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference.

"The policy will boost the innovation capability of science and technology institutions and companies and promote the in-depth integration of industry, research and application."

A carbon-reduction incentive mechanism will be trialled in the zone with shared standards, information and program recognition being featured.

Digital application in the zone will be deepened and one of the policies will tackle bottlenecks in digital transformation in key areas.

With the recognition of a number of frequently used e-version licenses and certificates in the zone, market entities will enjoy efficient and convenient government services in cross-area application and handling, said Hua.

A coordinated supervision and management mechanism for customs, related to cross-border e-business platforms, will be established.

Authorities in the zone will conduct joint crackdowns against violations in the areas of ecology and environment, food safety and fishing.

Market entities and social organizations will be encouraged to get involved in ecological remediation, rural revitalization and rural governance, according to Hua.

Authorities in the zone will also cooperate on education development and talent incentive policies.