Policy digest

Policy to promote gov't transparency

The State Council, China's Cabinet, has published guidelines to propel governance transparency nationwide. According to the guidelines, various levels of governments are required to promote transparency in decision-making, implementation, management, and policy implementation.

The measures include more timely responses, wider participation of the public, and more effectively publishing the necessary information about governance. The measures will help stabilize economic growth, push forward reform and promote economic restructuring.

Firmer stance on fake commodity fight

Signed by Premier Li Keqiang, the State Council issued a guiding document on more strictly combating fake commodities that violate copyright. As the production of fake commodities is becoming more organized and involving multiple provinces and industries, the guiding document emphasizes "striking the whole chain of production, circulation, and sales of fake and imitative goods".

According to the guideline, by 2020, a comprehensive system is expected to be established, which will coordinate law enforcement, the judiciary, rights-protecting agencies, arbitration and media supervision.

Three administrative regulations abolished

On March 21, Premier Li Keqiang signed State Council Order No. 676 and published the State Council's decision to revise and abolish some administrative regulations, which had already come into effect. Having propelled the reform of simplifying administrative procedures, the State Council checked the administrative regulations that were inconsistent with the ongoing reform, revising 36, and abolishing three others.

The revised regulations are mainly about vocational qualification approvals that have now been abolished and the previously complicated approval procedures of companies, while the three abolished regulations concern urban and rural markets, salary fund management, and the implementation of national standards on physical exercise. The three regulations have already been replaced by new ones.

Legislative plan for 2017 revealed

On March 20, the State Council announced its legislative plan for 2017. According to the plan, the State Council will finish 22 legislative programs. Nine of them are aimed at improving people's livelihoods and promoting harmony and stability in society, such as the regulations on express delivery, urban housing, and food safety.

Most noteworthy of all the planned programs is the regulation on human hereditary resource management. The regulation will be drafted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and it aims to make better use of the country's human hereditary resources and better protect people's rights to hereditary resources.

Financial costs reduced for firms

The Ministry of Finance issued a notice, according to which it will cancel and adjust some governmental charges from April 1 to further lower the economic burden on enterprises and boost the real economy.

Urban public utility additional funds and new wall material funds will be canceled. Besides, domestic enterprises are required to pay a security fund for employment of the physically challenged unless they employ a certain percentage; according to the notice, more enterprises will be exempt from that charge, while a ceiling percentage is set for those that continue paying it.

Medical facilities urged for elderly care

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, together with several other ministries, jointly issued a notice on March 22, launching special checks on elderly care homes nationwide to ensure their safety and quality. According to the notice, by the end of this year, over 50 percent of elderly care homes must offer medical services in various forms to senior residents.

New policy supports business start-ups

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security published a guideline that supports and encourages "technical staff" of some public institutions, mainly colleges and research institutions, to start businesses. According to the document, technical staff, referring to research professionals in science and technology areas, can keep their contracts with the public institutions for three years and get a basic salary when they leave their jobs to start businesses.

Industrial injury insurance stressed

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued a notice on strengthening insurance for industry related injuries. According to the notice, various levels of human resources and social security agencies must share information with relevant governmental departments and refuse to issue construction permits to the companies that fail to offer insurance contracts to their workers.