Tianjin Maritime Safety Bureau to reduce red tape

The Tianjin Maritime Safety Bureau announced it will reduce red tape in its administration beginning in January as half of the permit approvals will be removed.

The bureau has 45 permit approvals and from 2018, the number will be slashed to 23. Permit applications will be made in more counters in different areas in the city.

Cheng Junkang, vice-director of the bureau, said it will break geographical monopoly for services and seven counters in different areas in the city, including its free trade area, downtown and bonded zones, and will offer the same services to all companies despite their locations.

Expanded counter service will be provided with stronger information connectivity and sharing. If companies find the counters are still far from where they are based, they can just make a few clicks on a computer or apps to apply for 90 percent of the permits.

Five services, including the application for international shipping permits, which accounts for a majority volume of the maritime safety, could be completed fully online, including printing the final certificates.

"The move is part of efforts to transfer our administration to promote integrated maritime safety service innovation," he said.

Gao Kan, head of the policy and regulation department of the bureau, said the bureau will continue optimizing its service procedure in a bid to catch up with international norms.

During the first 10 months this year, Tianjin port saw its throughput capacity hit 12.8 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), a rise of 5.6 percent, and automobile throughput capacity hit 50,000 TEUs, a rise of 32.8 percent.