The State Council on July 1 issued an Opinion on using big data technology to improve the government’s supervisory responsibilities and services for market entities.

The document was the government’s latest effort to improve work efficiency and promote the transformation of its functions amid the challenges and opportunities brought by big data.

The Opinion is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of government services and regulation by improving its ability to use big data. It aims to create a fair and honest market environment by offering support for administrative streamlining through big data as well as lowering the cost of government services and supervisory responsibilities by making full use of big data technologies and resources.

In order to improve services for market entities, the government will, by using big data technology, adopt a series of measures including innovating its serving modes by offering personalized services, increasing the efficiency of registration and administrative approvals, giving preference to market entities with good credit status and restricting entry of those with bad credit status.

Efforts will also be focused on promoting the opening and sharing of government and social information resources.

Publicity concerning government information and data will be further enhanced. The Opinion required that information concerning administrative approval and penalties must be disclosed online within seven working days after decisions were made.

The government will provide one-stop service for checking the credit status of market entities through a Credit China (creditchina.gov.cn) website, which collects credit information from all departments and local governments that should be made known to the public.

Barriers and obstacles will be broken up to facilitate information exchange and sharing among different departments and local governments.

In order to improve the government’s ability to use big data technology, China will strengthen the building of e-government and encourage local governments to purchase big data resources and technology services from society.

Professional credit-solicitation services will also be promoted by deepening cooperation between credit reporting agencies and government departments, to build credit records that cover various social and economic areas.

Laws and regulations will be drafted to ensure information security when developing and applying big data technology.