The State Council issued a circular on Oct 15 regarding the decision to cancel and regulate 89 intermediary services that will no longer be required as preliminary conditions for administrative approval by government departments.

The move, which will improve regulations and standards of intermediary services as well as the quality and efficiency of administrative approvals, is being made by the State Council to further transform government functions and deepen reform of the administrative approval system.

According to the circular, some intermediary services have been canceled as applicants will no longer be required to provide the review, assessment or certification that used to be issued by intermediary service institutions officially designated by government departments.

For example, applicants will no longer be required to submit an asset audit report by accounting or audit firms to the Ministry of Education in order to establish private colleges or universities.

Some intermediary services will be regulated, as government departments will commission related institutions to provide technical services.

For example, pharmaceutical manufacturers will no longer be required to provide quality tests for pesticides, which have enterprise standards but no national and industry standards, to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which will commission related institutions to do the test.

In some areas, applicants are still required to provide government departments with technical reviews or assessments. But they will not have to go to intermediary service institutions designated by government departments. Instead, applicants can make their own reports or commission them to related institutions.

The State Council required government departments to carry out solid implementation of streamlining intermediary services, improving administrative management and creating a fairer market environment.