Recently, the General Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality officially issued the Implementation Plan of Beijing Municipality to Comprehensively Optimize Business Environment and Facilitate High-quality Development of Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as the Plan), which is the 6th edition of Beijing's reform plan to optimize its business environment.
Launching the "One Integrated License for Entering One Industry" Reform in 40 Scenarios
According to the Plan, Beijing will focus on promoting the "one integrated license for entering one industry" reform, develop a list of industries for this purpose, complete the reform in 40 scenarios including pharmacies, restaurants and convenience stores, and enable the comprehensive industry permit to be recognized and used throughout the city. Beijing will also build an online application system for the integrated license and get relevant applications handled at comprehensive service windows so that businesses can be started with one application form submitted at one service window for one license.
The city will carry out list-based management for administrative permits, granting no administrative permit beyond the scope of the list. Approval based on informed commitment will be expanded to cover 30-plus more items in the fields of construction, market access, etc.
Beijing will further reduce the costs of survival and exit for enterprises and explore the possibility of allowing market entities that have not generated business income and are temporarily not in operation to file VAT and surcharge declarations case by case. Efforts will be made to enable market entities to apply for a temporary close down with only one visit as authorities of market supervision, taxation, human resources and social security, medical insurance, and housing provident fund will accept, process and approve relevant applications at one window, on one network, and in good coordination.
Providing 600 Items of Public Services via Mobile Platforms
According to the Plan, in more fields, people will be able to complete all administrative procedures required in one scenario with only one application covering more approval items. The city will introduce an implementation plan to promote integrated services and draw up a list of more than 20 scenarios where all administrative procedures can be completed with only one application, including conferences and exhibitions, large-scale performances, trade promotion activities, kindergartens admission, household registration for college graduates, housing loan application from the provident fund, equity transfer, and intellectual property rights protection. In terms of service quality and efficiency, for all scenarios covered in this program services will be provided at integrated service windows of the municipal, district and sub-district government service halls with the whole process completed online. All requirements will be made clear once and for all; only one application form needs to be filled out with only one set of application materials submitted via one service window; all proccessing will be completed via one online platform; and all deliverables will be granted at one outlet. A comprehensive review will be conducted on the online processing system to identify problems such as the multiple redirections, interrupted connections, inability to handle some procedures online, and low stability, so as to improve the quality of one-stop online services. Beijing will thus ensure whole-process online processing for all administrative procedures at the municipal and district levels and handle more than 600 service items in social security, medical care, housing, employment and other fields via mobile channels.
Fully Implementing Online Payment of Taxes and Fees
An integrated policy support platform will be built so that relevant measurements, delivery, implementation and evaluation can all be accurate and well-targeted. With time, policies such as administrative payments, tax and fee reductions and exemptions, and financial subsidies will be delivered to all eligible entities without them making the application, or upon application.
Beijing will implement online processing for tax and fee-related affairs, realizing whole-process online processing for more than 95 percent of tax and fee services and mobile processing for 100 percent of frequently used tax and fee procedures regarding individuals. All invoices will be provided in electronic forms and taxpayers will be able to require, get, and check invoices around the clock. Invoices will be fully digitalized in all aspects. Beijing will continue to optimize the functions of the Digital Tax Bureau so that policies will be precisely matched with eligible entities, notifications can be sent automatically, and relevant information can be delivered to people concerned without request so that various tax and fee reduction policies targeted at VAT, corporate income tax and "six local taxes and two fees" (specifically, resource tax, city maintenance and construction tax, building tax, urban land utilization tax, stamp tax unless for stock exchanges, tax on the occupancy of cultivated land, education surcharge, and local education surcharge) will be delivered to all eligible entities without them making the application, or upon application.
Granting Planning Permits and Handling Other Procedures Based on Commitment, Allowing for Omission of Some Application Materials
Beijing will improve the efficiency of the review and approval of investment and construction projects, explore ways to establish mechanisms of co-working and parallel procedure processing for various departments, and enable a number of major projects to start early, commence construction early, go into operation early, and deliver results early.
The city will promote the reform regarding "regional assessment + standard land + commitment-based approval + government support", and increase the proportion of projects that start with commitment-based approvals; simplify the procedures required before projects can start, and continue to implement the commitment-based system for environmental impact assessment, water use assessment, planning permit granting and other related affairs, allowing for omission of some application materials; optimize project construction management to launch construction section by section so that enterprises can carry out earthwork, slope protection, dewatering and other operations in advance if the construction site meets required conditions, consequentially shortening the construction period by more than 60 days on average.
For public utility connection projects, planning permits, greening permits, road excavation permits and road occupation permits can be issued in a category-based manner, with no review unless there is a ban, while all relevant authorities shall work to issue such permits in good coordination. Relevant services such as installation, surveying, construction, and connection shall be provided jointly; and water, electricity, gas, heating, communications, cable TV, and Internet access services shall be provided with application for all accepted at one service window, all surveying tasks completed through one visit, and all procedures finished at one stop.
Whole-process Online Processing Will Apply to Registration of Policy-related Housing
Beijing will continue to promote the online processing and integrated processing of real estate registration; and expand the scope of whole-process online processing to cover the transfer of purchased public housing, affordable housing and other policy-related housing.
Real estate developers can assist buyers in applying online for advance registration and transfer registration of new commercial housing. The tax and fee payment process for real estate registration will be simplified. A calculator program will be provided as public service to assist real estate transactions so that taxpayers can calculate taxes and fees related to first-hand and second-hand housing transactions on their own.
Cross-provincial Social Insurance Payment and Provident Fund Replenishment Services Will be Available
Beijing will strengthen reforms for regional coordination in commercial affairs, unify and standardize business registration services, establish and improve the mechanism for sharing and mutual recognition of certification data, promote the cross-provincial processing of applications for business registration and business license replacement and renewal in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and promote the mutual recognition and interoperability of electronic business licenses in the field of business registration. Eligible enterprises can change their tax-related information with one click, instead of having to deregister and re-register for a move. Efforts will be made to develop a list for the mutual recognition of eligibility for preferential tax policies for enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region so as to ensure smooth continuation of production and operation for enterprises in the case of relocation within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
In terms of collaborative supervision, Beijing will promote joint incentives for integrity and credit supervision in key areas such as transportation, tourism and medical care in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region; tax supervision and enforcement will be carried out in good coordination, with standards for relevant administrative penalties fully unified in the region and cases subject to the zero penalty rule for first-time violators handled swiftly.
Regarding cooperation in government services, Beijing will vigorously promote cross-provincial processing of 19 new items, such as applications for temporary ID cards, household registration change for children to live with their parents, social security payment and provident fund replenishment. A total of 30 frequently used service items have been added to the mobile service platform, and more will be done to provide integrated services via self-service terminals so as to make it easier for enterprises and individuals to have their service needs met cross-provincially.