Districts People’s Governments, relevant departments of Municipal Government, and institutions directly under the government,
With the consent of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, the following opinions are put forward based on the city’s actual realities and in accordance with the Regulations of Guangzhou Municipality on Optimizing Business Environmentto thoroughly implement the guiding principle of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions that Guangzhou needs to make new and excellent achievements in creating a modern, international business environment. These opinions are also presented to further deepen the city’s facilitation reforms of starting a business and commercial system reforms and enhance the city’s ability to serve enterprises according to the comprehensive reform plans made by the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and Guangzhou Municipal Government to optimize the business environment.
1. Launching “Application at One Single Platform” for Starting a Business
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation is responsible for leading the establishment of the Business One Link Platform for Starting a Business and optimizing the platform’s function integration and full-service coverage. Applicant shall enjoy simultaneous handling of such matters as applications for business license application, seals, invoices and the Tax Ukey, employment and social insurance registration, registration of housing provident fund depositing, and making an appointment for open a corporate bank account through the platform. They may also have these matters handled one by one through the “Business One Link Platform” after applying and collecting for a business license. The whole applying process for starting a business in Guangzhou has been digitized, meaning that applicant no longer needs to submit paper materials and the application will be completed within half a day as the soonest.
2. Promoting Electronic Approval Obtainment for Starting Businesses via One Single Platform
After applying for starting a business by filling in one form, applicant may receive relevant electronic materials, such as business licenses, seals, and invoices, at one time. Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation is responsible for developing the “e-Cert Service” App. Other relevant departments shall, on the basis of business licenses, deliver related electronic materials to the applicants through the “e-Cert Service” application, and provide enterprises with business cards that comprise such information as e-seals, e-invoices for first-time applications, e-licenses and registration certificates, social insurance information, and the reserved numbers of corporate accounts. Relevant departments at the district and municipal levels shall guide and support enterprises in showing their licenses and certificates when these enterprises use government services and carry out business activities. They shall also encourage the public to display the licenses and certificates by scanning the QR code on the business licenses. Relevant departments shall allow the operation of enterprises with electronic licenses and certificates.
3. Expanding the Application of Electronic Materials for Starting Businesses
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation is responsible for expediting the integration of other trusted authentication platforms into the “Business One Link Platform”. These platforms include those issuing electronic business licenses, e-seals, and e-invoices. Guangzhou Municipal Government Affairs Data Administration is responsible for promoting mutual recognition of electronic licenses and certificates by accelerating the integration of the city’s trusted authentication platforms with related authentication platforms of other provinces or cities. Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation and other relevant departments can utilize the application service system of electronic business licenses to expand the comprehensive application of electronic business licenses and e-seals to government services such as business registration, tax-related services, social insurance registration, and housing fund registration. They shall also work to advance the in-depth application of the above-mentioned electronic materials in corporate bank account opening, tenders and bids, and public utilities such as electricity, water, and gas, and explore ways for their wider application in business activities.
4. Promoting Intelligent Concurrent Handling of Business-related Licenses and Certificates
When applying for business licenses through the “Business One Link Platform”, applicants can have other matters frequently applied for approval handled at the same time, including approvals for food, medicines, and medical equipment. The whole process is digitized and no paper materials are needed. Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation and other relevant departments shall publish the requirements for administrative approvals on the “Business One Link Platform”, promote concurrent handling of business licenses and more business-related matters applied for approval in an orderly manner, and launch more new scenarios of concurrent handling.
5. Implementing Unified Handling of Employment Registration and Social Insurance Registration
The applicant shall apply for social insurance registration together with the application for starting a business or after collection of the business license, with no need to provide any employment information. Having completed social insurance registration, the applicant can view relevant information in the “e-Cert Service” under the platform. Guangzhou Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau shall collect the information through data sharing required for employment registration on the “Business One Link Platform” and complete employment and social insurance registration simultaneously.
6. Exploring and Promoting Free Services for Preset Bank Account Opening
Applicant, applying for starting a business through the “Business One Link Platform”, shall fill related information for opening an corporate account at one time. After being authorized by enterprises, the platform will deliver related information to the banks selected by the enterprises. Enterprises can obtain their reserved account numbers by “e-Cert Service” under the platform, making it more convenient for enterprise to withhold and remit taxes, pay social insurance fees, and get other matters handled. Guangzhou encourages commercial banks to offer free services for corporate account opening and other matters, explore the mode for opening accounts online, strengthen government-bank cooperation, and facilitate information sharing.
7. Allowing Autonomous and Standardized Application for Enterprise Names and Business Scopes
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation shall further improve services for autonomous application for enterprise names on the “Business One Link Platform” in accordance with uniform and standardized rules. It shall also keep perfecting the function of intelligent name matching and retrieval, in a bid to facilitate fast retrieval of and application for enterprise names by applicant. Applicant may select business scopes in the list prepared by the State Administration for Market Regulation. The intelligent “Business One Link Platform” will identify the matters to be examined for approval and recommend one-stop services for concurrent handling of application for related license and certificates.
8. Implementing Autonomous Application for Domiciles (Business Premise) Based on Legitimacy Commitment
As for domiciles (business premises) in the standard address libraries, the “Business One Link Platform” can automatically match them and provide standard address selections, except for where autonomous application is not available due to the domiciles (business premises) being included on the “negative list” (refer to the Appendix). Applicant has to guarantee that the domiciles (business premises) are legal, real and effective. However, there is no need to upload ownership certificates, lease contracts, or any other documents. People’s governments at the district and municipal levels can take multiple measures to enlarge the standard libraries of addresses that can serve as business premises and gradually reduce matters on the “negative list” of autonomous applications for domiciles (business premises). They also need to improve the intelligent matching ratio of the standard address libraries and continuously enable intelligent, standardized approval of business registration.
9. Realizing Mutual Recognition of Enterprise Authentication Information Among Relevant Departments
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation and other relevant departments shall fully apply information technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and face recognition, and integrate the identity authentication system of electronic business license with public security departments. They shall establish a digital identity credit system, allow multiple services to be accessed after authentication, and promote mutual recognition of authentication information.
10. Providing One-stop Services for Foreign Investment Market Access
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau, and other relevant departments shall maintain a system of pre-entry national treatment plus a “negative list” management for foreign investment in accordance with the law and realize mutual deliever of enterprise registration information and approval (filing) information, sharing of data, and mutual recognition of results. All relevant departments shall streamline the handling of notarial documents for business registration of Hong Kong-related businesses and relevant matters, and deepen “Cross-border Services” for business registration. In addition, they shall fully utilize the “Business One Link Platform” as well as the institutions and bank branches in Hong Kong and Macao to allow investors from these regions to enjoy one-stop services without having to enter the Chinese mainland.
11. Continuously Improving the Facilitation Experience of Starting Businesses
Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation shall provide those applying for starting businesses with smart 5G services through the “Business One Link Platform”. It shall help applicant have the matters handled by intelligent robots, 5G messages, and remote visualization “stewards”, digitize and visualize item handling consultation, and establish a facilitation mechanism to make starting businesses as convenient as online shopping. The government service centers of all districts of Guangzhou shall build the offline Dedicated Service Zone for Starting Businesses, staff the zone with outstanding consultants to offer targeted and satisfying services, establish long-term mechanisms for integrated online and offline services, and enhance enterprises’ sense of gain.
12. Strengthening Ongoing and Ex-post Oversight of Autonomously Applied Matters
Applicants must guarantee the legitimacy, authenticity, and validity of the submitted materials and letters of commitment on autonomously applied matters, and assume the corresponding legal responsibility. Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation shall increase the frequency of spot checks on matters autonomously applied for by enterprises based on the model of oversight combining randomly selected inspectors who inspect randomly selected entities and the prompt release of results as well as the category-based management mechanism of corporate credit risks. If the registered domiciles or business premises cannot be contacted or the announced corporate information has been fabricated, the enterprises involved will be included in the catalog of enterprises with irregular operations in accordance with the law and the related information will be released to the public. To maintain good market order and legitimate rights and interests of market entities, enterprises that submit false information to be registered as market entities will be investigated and punished.
The Opinions shall enter into force on the date of issuance and shall be valid for five years.
Appendix: Negative List for Autonomous Application for Domiciles (Business Premises) by Market Entities in Guangzhou
Appendix
Negative List for Autonomous Application for Domiciles (Business Premises) by Market Entities in Guangzhou
If the following circumstances exist in projects the market entities in Guangzhou intend to engage in or the domiciles (business premises) those entities will apply for, autonomous application for domiciles (business premises) is not applicable.
1. Projects the Market Entities in Guangzhou Intend to Engage In
(1) Entertainment services
a. Dance halls
b. Video game centers
c. Internet cafés
d. Children’s indoor arcades
e. Shooting ranges
f. Amusement parks
g. Bath centers
h. Foot massage/Therapeutic massage/Sauna centers
i. Cinemas
(2) Catering services
a. Restaurants
b. Beverage shops
c. Pastry shops
d. Small eateries
(3) Dangerous goods
a. Production, management, and storage of hazardous chemicals
b. Coal product manufacturing
c. Production and management of fireworks and firecrackers
d. Storage of refined oil
e. Civilian-held firearm manufacturing
f. Sales of civilian-held firearms
g. Management of civilian explosives
(4) Financial services
a. Banks, insurance companies, securities companies, futures companies, fund companies, and other financial institutions
b. Microfinance companies, trading venues, pawn shops, financing guaranty companies, finance lease companies, commercial factoring companies, regional equity markets, local asset management companies, and other local financial organizations
(5) Security services
Public security services
(6) Education services
a. For-profit private schools
b. For-profit private training institutions
(7) Health services
Medical services
2. Domiciles (Business Premises) the Market Entities Apply For
(1) Properties legally used for residential purposes
(2) Government subsidized housing
(3) Military properties
(4) Properties of foreign (regional) enterprises
If this negative list needs to be adjusted in the future, Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation shall make an evaluation based on implementation status and report to the Municipal People’s Government for approval before making a public announcement.