The State Council issued regulations for online government services on April 30, effective immediately.

The regulations were made to further standardize and facilitate government services to provide efficient and convenient services for people and enterprises, and improve the business environment.

According to the document, China will step up efforts to build a nationwide integrated online government service platform with a unified standard for all government service items, through which services of different departments in different regions will be standardized and connected. And a data sharing system and all required procedures will be provided.

The integrated platform will consist of government service platforms of the central government, departments of the State Council and local governments.

The document also said the General Office of the State Council will take the lead in building the integrated platform, and will facilitate the establishment of standards, security, and management systems.

Authorities at provincial, autonomous regional, municipal levels and related departments of the State Council will take charge of building service platforms. Also, they need to be responsible for security guarantees and management of the platforms.

Government service items, unless required by laws or regulations or involve state secrets, should be included in the integrated online platform. Government service items can be categorized as administrative power or public service items.

The document also called for efforts to establish a national unified identity authentication system.

Administrative departments should not ask applicants to submit information that can be obtained through the data sharing system. And materials that applicants provide should not be used for purposes unrelated to government services.

The legal validity of electronic signatures is equal to that of handwritten signatures and seals. And electronic seals and certificates have the equal legal effects as the physical ones, the document said.

Government service departments or working staff that leak, sell or illegally provide private information, privacy or business secrets will be investigated according to law. And those who are found to have neglected duties, abused power, played favoritism or committed irregularities will be punished according to law.