Premier Li Keqiang confirmed the timetable and goals for the reform of streamlining administration, delegating powers, and improving regulation and services in the next five years, at a teleconference on June 28.

It was the sixth teleconference in the past six years that dealt with transforming government functions and the first one held by the new administration on that issue.

According to the decisions at the conference, in the next five years, starting a business should be shortened from the current average of 20 working days to five. Additionally, the period for trademark registration examinations should be reduced from eight months to four, and the period for patent examinations should be reduced by one-third.

Reviewing construction projects and customs clearance should take half the time, while the time for real estate registrations and electricity applications should be reduced by more than two-thirds.

In order to break information silos, the Premier asked to forge an integrated online government services platform and share data from different State Council departments in three years.

He said the reform is a requirement for tackling risks and challenges, promoting high-quality economic growth and creating new competitive advantages.

The government must reduce the direct allocation of market resources and intervention in market operations, improve market supervision, improve the efficiency of government services and create a world-class and fair business environment, the Premier said.

The conference also reviewed the administrative reform in the past five years.

At the beginning of the last administration, China was faced with extremely complicated and severe domestic and international situations, as well as mounting downward economic pressure, the Premier said.

In response, China has innovated and improved macro control while promoting the reform of streamlining administration, delegating powers, and improving regulation and services, thus inspiring market vitality and social creativity, he added.

A series of data prove that the reform has achieved more than the expected results.

“While acknowledging achievements, we must realize that reform is still far away from people’s expectations and the requirements of high-quality development, so we must not cease our efforts,” Premier Li said.

The further the reform goes, the more interests and contradictions would be involved, he said, urging State Council departments and local governments to unswervingly press ahead with the reform.