Work report targets to be monitored for completion

The State Council has urged allout efforts to complete development tasks and targets set in the 2019 Government Work Report in an executive meeting on March 20.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, allocated tasks in the Government Work Report to different departments, and decided on time limits.

It also highlighted the importance of full implementation of the tasks within the spirit of staying highly responsible to the people and making the utmost efforts to complete the goals and tasks for social and economic development for the year.

Related government departments should come up with concrete measures to further reform and opening up, streamline administration, cut taxes and fees, refine the business environment and foster new growth engines, according to a statement released after the meeting.

The work and policies that have already been decided should be carried out as soon as possible, with funds delivered promptly, the statement said.

It is also important to gauge the reactions of businesses and the public to ensure the government work will deliver results that are clearly felt by the market entities, it said.

Different departments should also enhance coordination in work and policies, improve mechanisms for supervision and prevent any drifts from targets or negligence.

“We should stimulate the market vitality through effective implementation, boost the confidence of market vitalities, hold out against the downward pressure and maintain a stable economic performance,” the statement said.

Labor Day holiday to be extended to four days

The Labor Day holiday in 2019 has been extended to four days, from May 1 to 4, the State Council General Office said in a statement released on March 22.

The decision came after suggestions were made by deputies to the National People’s Congress earlier this month to extend the holiday as part of efforts to boost consumption.

According to the statement, April 28 and May 5, two Sundays, will be workdays as part of the holiday adjustments.

The statement said that all regions and departments should prepare for the holiday adjustment, and adopt effective measures to ensure adequate transportation capacity, enhance tourist services, and increase product supplies.

The statement also called for proper work arrangements during the holiday period. Emergencies should be reported in a timely manner and be appropriately dealt with to safeguard a peaceful festival for the public, it said.

Reform of government services will be enhanced

The State Council has modified 49 administrative laws and regulations to further reform to streamline administration, enhance compliance oversight and improve government services.

The modifications, which were announced on March 18 after a State Council Order was signed by Premier Li Keqiang, are also aimed to stimulate the innovation spirit and creativity of the market and the society.

Those laws and regulations include Flight Management Rules for Foreign Civil Aircraft, Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Regulations and Implementation Regulations of the Import and Export Commodity Inspection.

A number of administration approvals, including the permits for foreign investors to operate in the international shipping services, were canceled. A regulation on the supervision of cosmetics is also modified so that the administration approval for the production of cosmetics and the health certification approval of cosmetic products will be incorporated.

In another change in regulation, businesses trying to deregister their business licenses will not have to publish a statement on newspapers about the deregistration.

The regulation on the implementation of the law on joint ventures using Chinese and foreign investment will also be modified to cancel an item stimulating that the duration of technology transfer agreements should be no more than 10 years.

Meanwhile, a number of items that required certification from authorities were also canceled. For parents trying to adopt children, they would no longer have to present certificates from their employers, residential communities or village committees showing that they do not have any children.