State Council executive meeting on Nov 23

The State Council executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 23, discussed the progress in cutting steel and coal production overcapacity this year and decided to dispatch investigative teams to address any cases of fraudulent or illegal practices.

The State Council also decided to cancel another batch of vocational qualifications to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, and passed a revised draft of China’s Law against Unfair Competition.

Details:>> Quick view: The State Council executive meeting on Nov 23

National pollutant discharge management system to be established

In an effort to promote environment governance reform and improve environmental quality, the State Council issued a circular to roll out a permit system to manage the discharge of pollutants.

According to the announcement, environmental protection authorities will supervise enterprises and public institutions by issuing permits, a task that will include all fixed pollution sources by 2020.

By 2017, a nationwide information platform on discharge permits will be established with unified permit codes for collective management.

Details:>> State Council to control pollution discharge through permit system

Cross-region payment of traffic violation fines

The Ministry of Public Security released a guideline on Internet Plus public security.

The guideline allows online settlement of traffic accidents and cross-region payment of traffic violation fines. It is aimed at forming a national network of Internet Plus public security.

More transparent local govt budgets

The Ministry of Finance released a regulation on the disclosure of local government budgets and final accounts.

Budgets and final accounts of local governments must be published within 20 days after getting approval from the local legislature or local finance departments.

From 2017, finance departments at local levels should establish open platforms for disclosing the budgets and final accounts.

Producers of goods for disabled exempt from income tax

Qualified companies that manufacture or assemble goods specifically for disabled people will be exempt from the enterprise income tax from 2016 to 2020.

That is according to a circular published by the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration of Taxation and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

New standards for companies on social insurance and share-controlling info

Enterprises need to provide information on their employees’ social insurance and additional statistics about the companies’ core businesses, female employees, share-controlling and their subsidiaries’ social credit codes when they report their annual credit information to related government departments.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the National Bureau of Statistics announced that the move will be implemented this year.