China to help self-employed business owners get through rough periods

China has rolled out a raft of favorable measures to help self-employed business owners weather the impact of the novel coronavirus as they bear the brunt and are the major job providers, said the top market regulator on Feb 27.

Difficulties in work resumption, heavy daily costs and tight cash flows are the main headaches of self-employed business owners, said Tang Jun, deputy head of the State Administration for Market Regulation, at a press conference.

Measures will be taken to help these people resume business, taking the health risks in different regions into consideration and meeting their demands in labor and logistics, said Tang.

Self-employed business owners will also see a cut in their social insurance contributions, rent, value-added tax burdens and certification costs, he said.

Electricity and gas supply for self-employed business owners that fail to pay the costs in time will be maintained, said Tang, adding that more price concessions will be given to lower their spendings on energy.

Tang also noted that the approval procedures of enterprise registration will be streamlined to provide more convenience for self-employed business owners.