Internet Plus regulation to serve fair business environment

In addition to the regular attendees from the State Council and related departments, two new guests were invited to the executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Oct 22.

The two guests, Yang Guoxun from the Advisory Committee for State Informatization and Luo Jianzhong from the National School of Administration, are experts on informatization and e-government affairs, as Premier Li hoped to seek their opinions on a national Internet Plus regulation system.

According to the experts, services and regulation should both be considered to build a convenient business environment. Meanwhile, a system should be in place to break the data silos of different departments.

Premier Li responded that a "nerve center" of the regulation system should be built, to break the benefit pattern of departments and bridge their information islands. "Besides those concerning national security and privacy, all government affairs should be open to society and market players," he added.

At the meeting, the State Council decided to enhance regulation over local and departmental supervision, and fend off cross-sector and cross-region risks by collecting and sharing related data. Work also was stressed to ensure the national governmental service platform could be put online by the end of September next year.

Premier Li said Internet Plus regulation is an important approach to push forward administration streamlining. Strict supervision could ensure better services, and recorded administration could rule out arbitrary enforcement, to guarantee a fair environment for enterprises, he said.

Those at the meeting also urged improving the business environment. To resolve the concerns of businesses identified during State Council inspection tours, Premier Li clearly stressed the need to enhance work on the business environment improvement.

Also at the meeting, five "further steps" were decided to achieve the goal: To further ease market access restrictions on private investors, further cut the number of items subject to government approval, further streamline the reviewing procedures for corporate investment, further reduce the tax and fee burden on enterprises, and further enhance the efficacy of government services. A list on improving the business environment will be fully implemented, Premier Li said.

He said research showed that there are still too many approvals at all government levels, a positive list is necessary, and discretionary powers should be regulated. "A positive list for law-based approvals will be released to the public after further selection," Premier Li said at the meeting.

Fostering a market-driven, law-based business environment that meets international standards is a basic foundation to inspire enterprises' vitality and better exert the market's role, he said.

The government should resolve the pressing concerns of businesses, deliver on all policy incentives and eliminate the obstacles to bolster corporate confidence and competitiveness, the Premier said.