Capital bolsters business-friendly environment
Streamlined processes for registrations, licenses to improve service efficiency
Government departments in Beijing have launched a series of innovative measures to improve the capital’s business environment.
One such way that the city is fostering growth is by cutting red tape in the retail sector.
Beijing’s industry and commerce administration, and the commission of commerce have implemented a new business registration policy making it easier for operators of convenience store to open new branches. A total of 17 chain store brands, including Haolinju Supermarket, OurHours, Wumart and 7-Eleven, are covered by the initiative.
In a bid to increase efficiency and reduce costs, the policy enables the chain store operators to open new branches without having to apply for a new business license each time.
Instead, operators of chain convenience stores need only assign a business license to one of their branches in each district, with all other branches in the district operating under that license.
The policy applies to all new stores as long as they have valid supporting documents and operate in line with current laws and regulations, according to the city government.
On April 16, a new branch of Bianlifeng, a 24-hour chain convenience store, in Guangcai Road, Fengtai district became the first store to benefit from the policy.
Streamlined business registration is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the efforts the city government is making to optimize the business-friendly environment, according to officials.
The industry and commerce administration has also recently adopted an online system for business registration and data sharing.
To start a new business, applicants can use the new system to submit all application materials for registration processes, with the uploaded information shared among various departments such as the tax administration and the public security bureau, freeing the applicants from having to visit different websites of government agencies.
Applicants can also apply for official seals and invoices via the platform at the same time.
Since the e-platform went online in April, the city has handled a total of 12,600 business registration applications with 9,533 of them filed via the platform, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total.
Another way in which the industry and commerce administration has sought to improve efficiency is to open its electronic database of corporate names to the public. It allows companies in the fields of science and technology, culture, business services and sports to more easily choose and register corporate names online.
Beijing has also established dedicated business startup service halls in each district to provide all business registration services under one roof. All government agencies of industry and commerce are represented in the halls to process applications and to offer guidance.
Applicants need only to visit a single service window to submit all the required documents for opening a business. The city now has 122 such service windows, with more than 200 related officials working there.
As a result of the new system, applicants are able to receive a business license in just one to three working days, down from the eight working days it took previously. In total, administrative procedures for starting a new business have been shortened to five working days from 24 working days previously.
Gao Huijun, a legal representative for an eco-technology company in Fengtai district, experienced the new service after it was launched to the public on March 26, and finished all the required administrative procedures in three days.
“It’s amazing really, I thought it would take a month to get the business license, official seals and invoices,” Gao said.
Li Yin, general manager of China Aviation Emergency Rescue Alliance Technology Co, said the streamlined administration approval procedures have helped his company retrieve a potential economic loss of hundreds of thousands of yuan.
“We had canceled the registration of our company because we planned to change the registration address, but a client was adamant in requesting receipts before we had time to finish registering the new company,” Li said. “If we failed to provide the receipts on time, the bill would have turned into a bad debt.”
After being informed of the company’s dilemma, industry and commerce administrative officials in the Yizhuang development area, where the company is now located, offered to help Li file an online registration application. As a result of the speedy process, Li obtained the new business license, official seals and invoices four days later.
Beijing is also currently offering official seals for startup companies free of charge to further incentivize those wishing to go into business. In 2017, about 194,000 startups were founded in the city, saving related costs of nearly 60 million yuan ($9.41 million).