State Council executive meeting calls for more measures to bolster recovery

At a State Council executive meeting held on Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang heard a report on the ninth round of the State Council's accountability inspection. He called for greater efforts in policy implementation to bolster the recovery and growth of the economy.

The meeting noted the recent ninth round of accountability inspection by the State Council in some localities. The inspection focused on supervising and inspecting local efforts in stabilizing economic performance and meeting people's basic needs. This was mainly conducted through unannounced visits.

The list of identified problems will be sent to related local governments, institutions and departments to ensure they are rectified and to prevent similar occurrences.

The task forces supervising and assisting efforts to stabilize overall economic performance should better align their work with the accountability inspection, and continue to coordinate the resolution of problems.

Policy measures to boost investment and consumption will be advanced on a priority basis, such as fiscal, taxation and financial support for key infrastructure projects and the upgrading of equipment.

Localities are urged to fulfill their due responsibilities in terms of stabilizing the economy and meeting people's basic needs. Economically strong provinces should play a leading role and work together to consolidate the foundation for economic stability and promote recovery and growth.

The meeting also decided that a list of high-demand government services that affect a wide range of sectors and are accessed in relatively concentrated time frames will be set up, covering all key stages in the life cycles of businesses and individuals.

Government departments will merge related items, and work to provide one-stop, cross-agency services for items that used to require multiple visits to multiple departments, in order to reduce the complications faced by businesses and the public.

For market players, procedures related to starting a business, obtaining a permit for business operation, employee recruitment, real estate registration and simplified enterprise deregistration can now be accessed on a one-stop basis.

For individuals, one-stop services will be provided related to newborns, flexible employment, marriage and childbirth, assistance to the disabled and people in hardship, discharge of military personnel, ownership transfer registration of secondhand houses and associated utility services, the retirement of employees and posthumous procedures.

All related localities must fulfill these tasks by the end of the year. Those that fail to deliver will be identified and urged to rectify on a time-limited basis.

Noting that transportation and logistics are the lifeline of a market economy, the meeting also stressed the need to keep transportation and logistics smooth and enhance policy support.

The meeting required all-out efforts to ensure the normal functioning of ports and cargo terminals, as well as smooth logistics in both trunk and branch routes. Unnecessarily stringent measures and a one-size-fits-all approach must be prevented.

In the fourth quarter of this year, highway tolls for trucks will be cut by 10 percent. In the meantime, targeted financial policy support will be provided to toll highway operators, to lower their financing costs as appropriate.

Government-priced harbor dues on cargo will be lowered by 20 percent in Q4.