The authorities must go through “the last stretch” in streamlining and delegating administrative power, so that enterprises can genuinely experience shorter and easier approval procedures, said Premier Li Keqiang on March 7, when he joined discussions with National People’s Congress deputies from Jiangsu province.

[Photo by Liu Zhen/China News Service]

Responding to one deputy’s suggestion that the government should improve the mechanism for export tax rebate, Li said that relevant policies have been put in place but enterprises feel that their implementation is “slow”.

“The reason is that we haven’t done enough in streamlining and delegating administrative power,” Li said.

The authorities should not complicate the procedure and confuse enterprises, he said.

“Some comrades in charge of local affairs said they hope the State Council will continue to delegate administrative power and give them more autonomy,” Li said.

[Photo by Wu Zhiyi/China Daily]

“I believe that you want autonomy because you want to loosen the constraints on enterprises, the market and the public, so as to make it easier for them to start businesses and make innovations.”

The authorities must still be responsible for supervising enterprises and ensuring fair competition, he said.