Medical fund fraud to face stricter range of penalties

Those who commit fraud in using medical security funds will be punished and even put on a list which prohibits them from getting bank loans and booking train or flight tickets, according to a draft regulation from the National Healthcare Security Administration.

The administration released the draft on April 11 to solicit opinions and suggestions nationwide, and clarified supervision and liabilities for medical security fund management.

Third-party institutions will be invited to join surveys, auditing and assist investigation, the regulation said. Different methods to ensure honesty will be introduced, including credit management, information reports, flight checks, intelligent monitoring and rewards for public tipoffs.

The regulation said people who cheat to get reimbursement from medical security funds will be dismissed from current contracts and issued fines and doctors who assist these illegal behaviors will be disqualified.

Violators will be exposed to the public and included in a national list of people who committed fraud and will be sanctioned if they applied for loans from banks or booked train or flight tickets.

Driver licenses can be applied for nationwide

People can apply for driving licenses for small cars in any place around China with only their identification cards, starting from June 1, said the Ministry of Public Security.

It was one of 10 simplified procedures released by the public security authorities to streamline administration approvals. Residents can apply for a driver’s license in any part of the country, without showing residential registration to local public security bureaus. Some items of the driver license test can be done separately when they move to other places to study, work or live.

Last year, the Ministry of Public Security introduced greater administrative streamlining. As of last week, 310 million copies of application materials, including residential IDs, were not required. More than 4 million people got their vehicles examined and driver licenses in places different from their places of permanent residence.

New credit system with more information set up

A new system for personal credit reports has been installed, by the credit information center of the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, to offer more detailed information.

In addition to basic personal information used in the old version, the new system records information of users’ spouses and employment, looking more like personal resumes. Other information that will be recorded is also more detailed. For example, repayments records are prolonged to five years, including on-time repayment and overdue payment. Moreover, the system has other information, including telecommunication bills, tap water payments, civil rulings, licenses, administrative punishments, and awards.

Complaint platform to ease burden on SMEs

A national platform of policy information for small and medium-sized enterprises has been installed recently, with the ability to submit complaints over delayed payments.

The website sme-service.org.cn, run by the department of SMEs at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is to release information that can boost the development of SMEs and accept their complaints over payments or debts in goods and construction and services delayed by governmental departments, public institutions and large enterprises. Enterprises can submit complaints on the national platform over delayed payments by debtors from other provincial regions.

The platform registers information of creditors, debtors and delayed payments, which will be given to local governments or relevant authorities to help SMEs get payments.

Chinese travelers warned of theft threat in France

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned Chinese travelers to be alert to theft and robbery when they go to France.

The Chinese embassy in Paris reminded Chinese to carefully read through tips released on their website and China’s consular service website (cs.mfa.gov.cn) before going there. People should also know regulations and rules on entry and exit in French airports and customs clearance. Travelers must be vigilant and pay attention to personal and property safety, especially their money and passports.

When encountering any robbery or theft, people can call the embassy for assistance (33-153758840) and the hotline for the ministry’s global consular protection service center (+86-10-12308 or +86-10-59913991).