Premier Li vows further cut of red tape to support restructuring

BEIJING -- Premier Li Keqiang on Monday vowed to advance government reform and improve public services to support economic restructuring.

The government should remove policy barriers to contribute to the development of a new economy, mass entrepreneurship and innovation, Li told a national conference on government reform.

"We should be clearly aware that the government is still engaged in things that it should not be," the premier said.

The government has not fully retreated from certain areas as designated, he said.

There are weak points in public service and huge room to improve efficiency, Li said.

He stressed that the government's reform should be measured by quantitative indicators such as how much time is saved for a company to register itself with the commerce department or for a project to get through government approvals.

The priorities of simplifying administrative procedure and delegating power include:

-- The central government will continue to cut items that need its approvals and delegate more power to governments at lower levels.

-- More approval requirements will be removed before a commercial project starts and unnecessary certificates will be canceled.

-- The government will review fees charged to enterprises and notably reduce them.

-- Colleges and research institutes will have more autonomy over their research and development projects.

-- The power and duty of central government departments and agencies will be further clarified.

The reform of government regulatory networks will also be important. One priority is to reduce the overlapping duties of different regulators and excess inspections caused by this problem.

The government will be careful about putting new business models under tight scrutiny, Li said, adding that it aims to strike a balance between nurturing innovation and exercising reasonable regulation.

The government will continue to streamline its service for startup firms and expand its cooperation with private sectors.

Internet technology will be introduced in administrative work so that the public and enterprises will have easier access.

The premier urged governments of all levels to keep in mind the bigger picture and restrain their own power for the sake of society and market dynamics.

The conference was chaired by Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.