Business environment enhanced by less red tape
The local government of Qingdao is improving services for foreign-funded enterprises to strengthen the coastal city's role in regional efforts to create a more open economy.
"We are creating a fair and transparent business environment for enterprises, which is a significant force driving economic growth," said Zhang Xinqi, mayor of Qingdao, located in East China's Shandong province.
He said the city government recently issued a new document requiring its various agencies and organizations to further improve administrative services and provide greater support to foreign-invested companies.
The document contains 10 mandatory policy changes that identify the responsibilities of each organization, said Ma Weigang, director-general of the Qingdao Bureau of Commerce.
He added that the changes were the result of research on the demands of foreign-invested companies.
One example is that in the past it might have taken at least five working days to process a request by a foreign-invested company to change its address, but in the future the process can be completed within one day.
And expatriates will enjoy greater aid when applying for and renewing visas as well as access to financial support for business expansion.
Reducing costs
To help companies cope with challenges, such as rising operational costs, the government has also decreased administrative fees.
Since July 2012, 11 kinds of administrative fees for companies have been suspended, and 16 other kinds of service fees have been reduced by about 20 percent on average.
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