China's Shandong province to continue improving the business environment through new, streamlined measures

JINAN, China, May 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 8, the Information Office of The Shandong Provincial People's Government held a press conference to explain and provide further clarity on the Implementation of Opinions for Continuously Improving the Business Environment. Guan Zhaoquan, deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said a good business environment is one of the most effective means for promoting local economic development. The business environment involves the entire life cycle of a business from registration, operation, growth through to eventual closure, and has a direct impact on its ability to thrive. To this end, Shandong has put forward 18 measures to streamline and upgrade the business environment.

I. Comprehensively facilitate all services for business

1. Make it convenient to start up and wind down a business

• Make it possible to complete the entire process for starting up a business at a 'one-stop shop' with applicants able to provide all necessary information on a single form and finish the entire process online

2. Speed up the approval of construction projects

• When applying for approval of a construction project, a business only need to fill in one form at each approval stage
  - Synchronize each stage of the design process
  - Handle all stages of the review process in parallel
  - Complete the approval process in one go
  - Mutual acceptance of results

3. Streamline the process for connection to the power grid

4. Simplify the process for water and gas installation and metering

5. Reduce the number of classification types for real estate and streamline the registration process

• Real estate registration, transactions and taxes can all be handled at a 'one-stop shop'

6. Improve the quality of tax services

7. Facilitate cross-border trade

• Implement the process whereby all minerals are first cleared through customers then tested
• Import businesses that have real difficulty in paying taxes due to the coronavirus epidemic may apply for an extension of payment (up to 3 months)
• By June 20, 2020, fully implement the pilot program for the operation and management of closed accounts related to export order financing for foreign trade businesses

8. Streamline the safety management of highways

II. Solve the pain points facing companies

1. Strengthen support for lending to companies

• For companies allowed to renew a loan without first repaying the principal, banks shall conduct an investigation and review within a month prior to the maturity of the loan according to the applications submitted by the companies
• Reduce the approval time for credit applications
  - No more than 4 steps on average in the loan application process for qualified small and micro businesses
  - No more than the need for 10 supporting documents as part of the application process
  - No more than 11 working days to process

2. Protect the legitimate rights and interests of small and medium-sized investors

• Reduce the time for the mediation of investor disputes
• Establish a legal service advisory group to protect the rights and interests of small and medium-sized investors

3. Streamline labor market services

4. Regulate bidding and government procurement

• Suppliers participate in the entire government procurement process electronically
• No bid bond for suppliers with good credit

III. Provide convenient and efficient government services

1. Streamline government services

2. Strengthen the protection of intellectual property

• Reduce the average processing time of general administrative penalty cases to 20 working days
• Administrative adjudication cases need to be completed within 60 days
• Process all intellectual property cases online

3. Enhance the efficiency of regulatory services

IV. Create a transparent and stable policy environment

1. Enhance policy stability and predictability

2. Strictly prohibit a "one size fits all" approach to enforcement of regulations

• Never take a blanket approach to any or all industries in a given sector by requiring all businesses within the sector to summarily suspend production or operations either by way of a direct order or by disguising the order through requests that amount to a demand to suspend production or operations

3. Enhance government integrity

SOURCE Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province