Risk evaluation for lighting disasters and approval licenses of lighting protection engineering have been eliminated as Premier Li Keqiang stresses steps to cut burdens for enterprises and delegate powers.

At an executive meeting in April, 2015, the Premier asked to regulate the intermediary charging services for risk evaluation of lighting in construction projects. After the meeting, China Meteorological Administration immediately held a national teleconference, requiring that meteorological departments at all levels must cancel the intermediary services of risk evaluation of lighting disasters.

Two months later, the meteorological administration decided to stop the charging fees for the evaluation of lighting prevention in construction projects and allocated the design evaluation and monitoring of constructions tasks to specific institutions.

By March this year, all the intermediary services have been regulated, which not only bring benefits to enterprises, but also help to prevent corruption, according to the person in charge of the meteorological administration.

In April this year, the administration announced plans to allow enterprises to apply for the evaluation qualification of lighting prevention, and encourage social groups and individuals to participate in the lighting prevention technology services.

After the Premier called for cutting redundant lightning protection engineering approval licenses in construction projects at the executive meeting on June 28, the meteorological administration decided that the design review and completed inspection work of the lightning protection system of housing construction projects, which were undertaken by meteorological departments, would be overseen by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

After eliminating the services, more than 200,000 construction projects will avoid redundant approvals every year, and about four billion yuan will be saved for enterprises to construct lighting prevention projects.

The reform on lighting prevention projects in the past year is a reflection of the government’s efforts to simplify administrations and delegate powers, which was also highlighted by the Premier at a teleconference in May this year.