1st LD-Writethru: Chinese premier stresses efforts to streamline administrative approval

Premier Li Keqiang has called for more to be done to streamline administrative approvals, delegate power to lower governments and improve services to unleash development potentials.

He made the remarks on Monday in Shanghai when chairing a meeting on simplifying administrative procedures and delegating power attended by senior officials from 11 provinces and cities.

Li called the reform on streamlining administrative approval "important parts of China's supply-side structural reform" and "integral to the process of transforming government functions."

He said the government will further streamline administrative powers and improve services to create a friendly environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and advance economic restructuring.

The reform will need measures such as creating negative lists for business registration and publicizing duties and responsibilities of local governments in "power lists," said the premier.

Market access will be further eased to encourage the participation of private investors and more will be done to streamline the government administration, including further "separating" business licenses from administrative permits, which allows companies to get their businesses up and running without an administrative permit.

The premier underlined that it was important to use advanced information technology to make government supervision more effective, and encourage innovation to create a fair, inclusive and orderly business environment with vitality.

Li also called for more efforts to improve government services via the Internet-Plus plan to facilitate public services, meet people's needs and deliver them real benefits.

The premier stressed that local governments should replicate the success of China's free trade zones (FTZs) and further unlock market vitality and social creativity to sustain medium-high growth rate and move to medium-high level of development. Endi