Less red tape and more compliance oversight

More reforms will be carried out to cut licensing red tape and boost compliance oversight to promote fair competition and improve market efficiency, the State Council said in a statement released after an executive meeting on Aug 28.

The transferring of more administrative resources from licensing and approvals to compliance oversight is part of efforts to improve the business environment, and will help stimulate market vitality and resist downward pressure on the economy, the statement said.

It urged efforts to carry out oversight responsibilities in line with laws and regulations, saying that the authorities must step up compliance oversight of items that no longer require administrative approvals.

Supervision of fields that could affect public security and people's health, such as food, drugs and various types of equipment, must be enhanced, and there should be no blind spots in the areas, it said.

The government will come up with unified and simplified rules and standards for the oversight of separate areas to boost services to businesses.

The transparency of government oversight will be improved to ensure fairness, and all law enforcement actions must be recorded, with their results made public, the statement said.

It also required more innovation in government oversight, with more joint law enforcement actions between different government departments and regions. The supervision of emerging sectors must continue to be prudent and accommodating, and Internet Plus oversight must be pushed forward.

Internet Plus is the central government's strategy to integrate mobile internet, cloud computing and big data with traditional industries.

Punitive measures such as interdepartmental punishments and lifelong bans on access to sectors will be established.

The meeting also decided on steps to further ease market access by scrapping production permits for some products.

Businesses that produce 13 categories of industrial products, including internal combustion engines and brake fluid, will be exempted from applying for production permits.

Such products related to security, health and environmental protection will be instead subject to management by China Compulsory Certification, with certification fees covered by the fiscal budget.

The Cabinet said the reduction of licensed production does not mean less responsibility for government, and more oversight must follow to ensure the quality and safety of industrial products.

Private parties urged to invest in sports venues

The State Council executive meeting on Aug 28 rolled out measures to promote public health and boost participation in sports.

More public sports facilities will be open to the public to meet people's fitness demands, a statement released after the meeting said. The government will encourage the development of diversified fitness training and related services targeting different age groups.

It will also encourage the development of fitness products to improve public health by enabling more people to acquire healthy exercise habits.

The Cabinet also underlined the unleashing of market potential in developing the sports industry. More private parties will be given incentives to hold sporting events, and all eligible sporting events hosted by national sports associations will be handed over to market players.

The supply of sports venues and facilities will be increased, and private parties will receive support in investing in the construction of sports facilities. The operation of new, government-invested sports venues should be entrusted to third parties, the statement said.