Sui Shi Jian Lian [2020] No. 23
District People’s Governments and the relevant departments of Municipal People’s Government:
To thoroughly implement the spirit of decisions by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on advancing reforms of optimizing the business environment, and in accordance with comprehensive reform plans by the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Guangzhou Municipal Government to completely optimize the business environment in line with advanced international benchmarks, the following Opinions regarding efforts to comprehensively and systematically enhance the ease of starting a business in Guangzhou are hereby issued:
1. Objectives
(1) To continue expediting reforms of the ease of starting a business systematically ;
(2) To comprehensively promote the online application for all procedures of starting a business;
(3) To further optimize and improve the “Business One Link Platform” of Starting a Business in Guangzhou (hereinafter referred to as the One-Link Platform);
(4) To make new breakthroughs in streamlining procedures, reducing processing time and costs while enhancing efficiency, based on the core concept of "Application at One Single Platform, Obtainment from One Single Counter", and standardizing procedures, service guidelines, and data interconnectivity standards;
(5) To expedite the implementation of “One Form, One Procedure and Completion within Half a Day” during starting a business. Thus, it comprehensively enhances the ease of starting a business for general public and enterprises.
The applicant may submit all applications related to start a business through the One-Link Platform. After approval, the applicant shall collect the Business-starting Package from the dedicated “Post-approval Collection Counter”, consisting of its business license, free seals, invoices, and tax management equipment in a meantime.
2. Measures
2.1. Implementation of online applications for all procedures of Starting a Business
The One-Link Platform will be optimized and upgraded. Applications for starting a business, including business license, seal making, invoices and the tax management equipment, employment registration and social insurance registration, housing provident fund deposit registration, and making an appointment to open a corporate bank account, may now be concurrently handled in “One stop, One procedure” on the One-Link Platform. Through PC or the WeChat Mini Program, applicant may submit all required information in the meantime on the One-Link Platform. After completing a standardized identity verification, the platform will automatically generate electronic forms and documents, verify and correct the information provided in real time, synchronously collect data, and share information with relevant government authorities. All relevant authorities will jointly and concurrently handle the above applications through the platform within half a day at the soonest.
2.2. Launch of Convenient Services of Dedicated "Post-approval Collection Counter"
Each district government service center will establish a dedicated "Post-approval Collection Counter". After approval of the above-mentioned applications for starting a business through the One-Link Platform, each department should, in accordance with their duties and processing timeframe, deliver hardcopy business license, free seals, invoices and tax management equipment to the dedicated counter for the applicant to collect.
2.3. Offering Free Seal Making Service
When the applicant applies for a business license on the One-Link Platform, the platform will concurrently collect the information which engraved on seals, and there is no need for a separate application. The platform will then forward the application information in real time to the seal engraving service providers that has signed procurement agreements and service commitments with the government. Upon receiving the information, the seal engraving service providers will then complete seal engraving, automatic system filing and delivery of the company seal on schedule. The newly-established enterprise in Guangzhou may obtain one set of four seals made of ox horn or synthetic ox horn (including one company seal, one finance seal, one invoice seal, and one contract seal) free of charge from the dedicated "Post-approval Collection Counter" at the district government service center which the business will be domiciled in (or the business premise will be located in).
2.4. Optimizing Employment and Social Insurance Registration Procedures
When the applicant applies for a business license on the One-Link Platform, the platform may synchronously collect employees’ employment and social insurance information. Applications for employment and social insurance registration (for both the enterprise and its employees) are completed once Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau receive business registration information, such as the unified social credit code and employees’ employment and social insurance information forwarded by the platform. There is no need for the applicant to submit a separate application as the platform provides “One-stop Collection and Processing” services.
2.5. Further Improving Quality of Enterprise-Related Services
Application at One Single Platform and Obtainment from One Single Counter service shall be enhanced to progressively expand the functions and services provided on the One-Link Platform, and explore additional “Starting a Business” services.
2.6. Progressively Extending the Capabilities of Electronic Business Licenses
Electronic business licenses are automatically issued along with hardcopy business licenses for enterprises to download and use as needed. Relevant authorities should progressively promote the integration of electronic business licenses and the Guangzhou electronic license system. Other government authorities should promote the capabilities of enterprise identity verification and electronic signatures in relevant functions of their information systems, enhance the functions of electronic business licenses in aspects such as identity verification, electronic archives, and information inquiry for market entities. Relevant authorities should promote the inter-departmental sharing and use of such information and functions to enhance the ease of usage.
2.7. Strengthening the Management and Utilization of Electronic Archives
Original electronic application documents generated by the One-Link Platform when processing applications, various departments’ electronic review forms, relevant database documents and images, and other electronic materials will become electronic archives upon the approval by the relevant authorities and will be deemed equivalent to hardcopy documents submitted by the applicant. Electronic archives will be incorporated into Guangzhou government services electronic document database to promote the sharing and utilization of electronic archives among government departments. As the platform provides automatic filing and saving functions, enterprises may retrieve their electronic archives on self-service machines or remotely after an application is approved.
2.8. Establishment of an Efficient Inter-Departmental Information Sharing and Security System
Based on the principle of “One Source for One Data, Information Sharing, and Collaboration of Services,” the Guangzhou Municipal Government Affairs Information Sharing Platform shall be put to full use to integrate inter-departmental standards for sharing and exchanging information, remove barriers to information integration between different departments and different levels of government, enhance the speed and convenience of inter-departmental information sharing, and effectively improve the efficiency of electronic data usage. Relevant authorities should ensure that information from the One-Link Platform is shared in a secure manner, user privacy is protected, data is accurate and traceable, and that relevant approval information is able to retrieve. There should be an enhanced security monitoring for important systems and key review processes, such as the One-Link Platform and electronic licenses, and improve the guarantee of information security.
3. Implementation Mechanisms
3.1. Strengthening implementation on reforming responsibility. Under the leadership of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Guangzhou Municipal Government, a special workgroup at the municipal level will be established, organized, and coordinated by a leading department and jointly advanced by various relevant departments. The workgroup will comprehensively optimize the business environment, improve the ease of starting a business, clarify relevant tasks, define the accountability, refine relevant measures, strengthen coordination and convene periodicity consultations to form a joint task force. Each district should establish a special workgroup at the district level according to municipal work mechanisms to ensure that policies related to enhancing the ease of starting a business are implemented.
3.2. Strengthening policy awareness and guidance. All departments should timely and accurately promote and interpret various policies concerning reforms to enhance the ease of starting a business through various multi-level publicity channels, in order to further enhance public awareness and policy transparency. Profession training for the service counter staffs at municipal and district levels should be intensified, in order to ensure that relevant staffs have a comprehensive understanding of various reform policies and measures and are familiar with the operation of the One-Link Platform and the requirements of “Obtainment from One Single Counter”. Consultations, notifications, and guidance should be carried out to ensure that enterprises are familiar with the platform, so as to effectively promote the use of the online platform for all procedures related to starting a business.
3.3. Enhancing general public and enterprise satisfaction. Enhancing the ease of starting a business is a long-term and arduous undertaking; all departments should thoroughly implement the various reform measures, honor commitments made to the public, focus on tracking and evaluating the implementation of the policies and measures after they are issued, and timely listen to opinions and suggestions from all sectors of society on the implementation of policies. All departments should also improve their work in a targeted and timely manner based on the difficulties reported by enterprises and the general public, in order to ensure that the formulation and implementation of policies are comprehensive, precise, and targeted, and continually enhance the experiences and satisfaction of enterprises and the general public with these reforms.
This Opinion shall take effect from the date of issuance and shall be valid until December 31, 2021. This Opinion shall prevail in case of any discrepancy with previous provisions.
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation
Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau
Guangzhou Municipal Tax Service, State Taxation Administration
Guangzhou Municipal Government Affairs Data Administration
Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau
Guangzhou Municipal Housing Provident Fund Management Center
Business Administration Department of the Guangzhou Branch of the People’s Bank of China
February 18, 2020