Ministries responded to a series of recent public concerns, including administrative approvals, elderly care institutions, food inspections and agricultural meteorology as well as highlighting enterprise growth.

Two more administrative approvals canceled

Two more administrative approval items, previously overseen by the National Development and Reform Commission, will be canceled, according to a recent State Council notice.

No approvals will be needed for engineering consultation firms to get qualification certificates while trans-provincial and provincial-level plans for power generation and supply do not have to be recorded and approved by the commission, the notice said.

Higher quality standards set for elderly care institutions

Care homes for the elderly are required to help their residents be better connected with the outside world by providing enhanced communication facilities and services, according to a draft drawn up after a public survey on basic quality standards for care homes.

The draft, released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Oct 19, said that staff members should treat residents with dignity and respect and protect the private information of the residents and their visitors.

In addition, the living environment and facilities should be improved to enhance care for the elderly, the document said.

Agricultural products inspected in 14 provinces

The Ministry of Agriculture recently carried out quality inspections on 10 types of agricultural products, including grain, oil plants, livestock and poultry, and aquatic product.

The inspections, conducted by the ministry’s work group, were conducted in Shandong, Liaoning and 12 other provinces.

So far, nine provinces in northern China have established a prevention and control system to manage quality risks.

Weather data map will boost agricultural output

The China Meteorological Administration issued a plan to make a weather data map for the agricultural sector.

The map will connect agricultural meteorological agencies at the national and provincial levels. When completed, the map will be published on agricultural websites and apps.

Special program to protect meat quality for customers

A special program was launched on Oct 13 to crack down on crimes breaching meat quality and will last until the end of December, according to a notice released by the Ministry of Agriculture and the China Food and Drug Administration.

Violations of laws and regulations in key areas will be penalized, which will help better regulate the meat market and improve quality, the notice said.

New regulation on auction management to take effect

The Regulation on Auction Management, released by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, will take effect on Nov 1.

Registration applications should be submitted to the administration to get a business license and permission sought from local governments to run auction companies for such operations.

The regulation clarifies prohibited actions for auctioneers, sellers and bidders. Auctioneers must not mislead and sellers must not participate in, or entrust others, in the bidding. Bidders are prohibited from any malicious collaboration to uniformly lower the bidding prices.

New, revised standard set for railway track design

From Dec 20, a new standard will be employed to govern the design of railway tracks, said the National Railway Administration.

The standard, a revised version of one issued in 2005, sets basic principles and major technical criteria for track designs.

Technical requirements for steel are also categorized for different types of tracks.

The revised standard applies to track designs for high-speed, intercity, passenger and freight lines, and heavy-rail. The public can find detailed information on the administration’s website.

Seven standards abolished for logistics amid upgrade

The National Development and Reform Commission decided to abolish seven standards for the logistics industry that are no longer suited for the industry’s development, after reviewing regulations governing logistics.

Fast increase in newly registered enterprises

The first three quarters of this year have seen 4.51 million new enterprises registered in China, an increase of 12.5 percent compared to the same period last year, said the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The number of enterprise applications are surging. On average, 16,500 new enterprises are established every day, the administration said.