The central government is determined to regulate government gazettes to promote administrative services, as stated in a circular released by the State Council on April 18.

As a legal carrier of administrative laws and regulations, the government gazette is an authoritative channel for government organs to issue decrees.

However, some governments’ gazettes have not published regulations timely and it’s not so convenient to search documents through gazettes, according to the document. Given that, a systematic mechanism should be worked out to improve government work on gazettes.

According to the circular, a three-tier system of gazettes including central, provincial and municipal governments will be established, and they should publish documents in accordance with their own levels. Commercial advertisements are not allowed.

Work mechanisms involving review, supervision, submission and liaison should be set up.

In addition, the State Council also urges governments at all levels to publish e-gazettes, adding access avenues for the public, and use electronic watermarks or other means to make sure the online versions are not tampered with.

Governments should also establish gazette databases, open them to the public and provide document retrieval functions for people searching and utilizing them, the circular noted.

Governments are encouraged to distribute gazettes free, covering national archives, public libraries, administrative service centers, and communities, courts and procuratorates.

General offices of local governments are in charge of the gazette work and responsible for organization, the document read.