govt.chinadaily.com.cn

Policies

Customs meets clearance target two years early

Updated: Jan 21, 2020 Xinhua Print
Share - WeChat

Several ministry-level departments, including those responsible for customs, commerce and public security, responded recently to issues of public concern.

Simpler procedures benefit importers and exporters

China's customs-clearance time shortened dramatically last year, meeting a target set by the State Council two years ahead of schedule, the General Administration of Customs said on Jan 13.

The country's import-clearance time was reduced to 36.7 hours in December, down 62.3 percent from 2017. Export-clearance time was slashed to 2.6 hours, down 78.6 percent from 2017.

China's import and export firms also saw the number of items requiring customs declarations dwindle to 105, down from 229 in the past.

The authorities have simplified clearance procedures and cut customs fees over the past two years.

In October 2018, the State Council, China's Cabinet, asked customs authorities to cut the time it took to clear goods in 2017 by half by the end of 2021.

The country has long been committed to creating favorable conditions for businesses by reducing customs clearance time, supporting cross-border e-commerce and promoting diversification of export markets. China ranked 56th last year in the ease of trading across borders, a jump from 65 in 2018, according to the World Bank's Doing Business 2020 report.

Upgrade for outsourcing services sector

The Ministry of Commerce and seven other ministerial-level bodies have issued a guideline to help the country speed up the upgrading of its outsourcing services industry.

The guideline, posted online on Jan 14, said that by 2025, the industry should become an important channel for China to bring in advanced technologies and step up in global value chains, and it should include more high-end digital businesses.

The guideline laid out six major tasks for provincial authorities, including speeding up the digitization of outsourcing services, promoting outsourcing services in key areas such as drug research and development, design and accounting, and strengthening the nurturing of talent.

China offered more than $88 billion of offshore outsourcing services in 2018, making it the second-largest provider that year, Xian Guoyi, head of the ministry's Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services, told a news conference on Jan 17.

Xian estimated that the figure for last year was about $95 billion, and said that outsourcing services play an important role in China's efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of its manufacturing industry and beef up its innovation capacity.

Pilot vehicle management projects planned

Some provinces will carry out three pilot reform projects for vehicle management starting March 1, the Ministry of Public Security announced at a news conference on Jan 14.

One aims to grant electronic certification for vehicles through an online platform for traffic safety services that was developed by the ministry and is run by local traffic police departments, or through its smartphone app.

That would reduce the number of paper certificates that vehicle owners and drivers need to obtain, and they will no longer have to stick some certificates on their vehicles.

The second involves the points deduction system for driver's licenses and could exempt drivers who have violated traffic laws from some point deductions if they take part in traffic safety courses.

The other pilot project aims to enable parties involved in traffic accidents to obtain reports online or go online to see what stage the report is at.

Financial support for rural families in focus

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Bureau of Statistics have issued a guideline for local authorities to assess more accurately the financial conditions of rural families to make sure those who receive government financial support for sustaining basic living standards are those who really need it.

As part of the country's efforts to eliminate absolute poverty this year, the guideline, publicized last week, sets out specific indicators for assessment, including a family's income, property and necessary expenses.

It said local authorities can also use other indicators to determine if a family is hiding its income or property. For example, they can review the family's water, electricity, gas and phone bills to see if they significantly exceed those of an average family.

Copyright©2024 China Daily. All rights reserved.

京ICP备13028878号-6

京公网安 京公网安备 11010502032503号