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During an executive meeting of the State Council， China’s cabinet， on May 6， Premier Li Keqiang expressed his displeasure at excessive regulation and red tape， ridiculing scenarios in which citizens were asked to provide evidence of parent-child relationship when obtaining a government permit.
Li pointedly asked， “Why is it so difficult for ordinary citizens to get things done？ Why has the government erected so many barriers？”
The Chinese Government has attached great importance to streamlining administration and transforming its functions. Over the past two years， the State Council has abolished or delegated to lower levels over 800 administrative approval procedures， or more than one third of existing ones， having accomplished ahead of time its five-year reform target. The efforts have greatly unleashed market vitality and stimulated entrepreneurship and innovation in society.
In spite of the prominent results the reform has yielded， there is still much more to be done. For example， some central and provincial government departments have delegated powers pertaining to the acceptance and preliminary approval of cases to lower levels but hung on to the power of final approval. Some departments have delegated powers related to decision making but retained the power to issue certificates， making it even more inconvenient for citizens as they have to go through one half of the procedures at higher-level departments and the other half at lower-level ones. Some departments have even shed their cumbersome duties at lower levels but have nonetheless retained their commanding roles.
Worse still， lower-level government departments are often incapable of exercising the power delegated to them owing to inadequate personnel， funding and infrastructure. For instance， of the 54 powers delegated to a township in north China’s Shanxi Province from higher-level governments， 44 have been shelved. This state of affairs has created multiple power vacuums and caused much confusion and consternation.
Cases in which government departments require unnecessary certificates have also come to light of late. For example， citizens are required to provide certificates proving their moral integrity when looking for jobs. Such practices not only reflect the arrogant attitudes held by some bureaucrats but have also created openings for corrupt officials to demand bribes. It is estimated that the Chinese need 103 certificates for issues such as childbirth， admission to school， relocation and retirement over the course of their entire lives. Meanwhile， although the Central Government has issued multiple statements ordering the cancellation of random charges， the arbitrary collection of fees from small and micro businesses and enterprises in the service industry continues unabated. In response to public complaints about the high charges on many public services， some local pricing watchdogs have even cited covering of payment of employees and daily expenses as an excuse.
The effect of the streamlining of administration and delegation of power to lower levels isn’t simply reflected by the reduction of the number of administrative approval procedures but by feedback from affected parties. Whether or not the public and enterprises are getting things done faster and with more cost-effectiveness will determine their satisfaction with the reform.
Premier Li essentialized the reform during a teleconference held by the State Council on May 12. He said， “First， we should give up control over matters we shouldn’t meddle with； second， we should exert control over things we should govern； third， we should put what we have promised into practice.”Li’s words demonstrate the Central Government’s resolve to transform government functions， innovate and improve government management， and provide quality public services.
Only after the government succeeds in shifting its focus of work toward creating a sound business environment and safeguarding social justice and fairness， can it effectively spur the creativity of all kinds of market entities and give full play to internal dynamics of the economy.
Li pointedly asked， “Why is it so difficult for ordinary citizens to get things done？ Why has the government erected so many barriers？”
The Chinese Government has attached great importance to streamlining administration and transforming its functions. Over the past two years， the State Council has abolished or delegated to lower levels over 800 administrative approval procedures， or more than one third of existing ones， having accomplished ahead of time its five-year reform target. The efforts have greatly unleashed market vitality and stimulated entrepreneurship and innovation in society.
In spite of the prominent results the reform has yielded， there is still much more to be done. For example， some central and provincial government departments have delegated powers pertaining to the acceptance and preliminary approval of cases to lower levels but hung on to the power of final approval. Some departments have delegated powers related to decision making but retained the power to issue certificates， making it even more inconvenient for citizens as they have to go through one half of the procedures at higher-level departments and the other half at lower-level ones. Some departments have even shed their cumbersome duties at lower levels but have nonetheless retained their commanding roles.
Worse still， lower-level government departments are often incapable of exercising the power delegated to them owing to inadequate personnel， funding and infrastructure. For instance， of the 54 powers delegated to a township in north China’s Shanxi Province from higher-level governments， 44 have been shelved. This state of affairs has created multiple power vacuums and caused much confusion and consternation.
Cases in which government departments require unnecessary certificates have also come to light of late. For example， citizens are required to provide certificates proving their moral integrity when looking for jobs. Such practices not only reflect the arrogant attitudes held by some bureaucrats but have also created openings for corrupt officials to demand bribes. It is estimated that the Chinese need 103 certificates for issues such as childbirth， admission to school， relocation and retirement over the course of their entire lives. Meanwhile， although the Central Government has issued multiple statements ordering the cancellation of random charges， the arbitrary collection of fees from small and micro businesses and enterprises in the service industry continues unabated. In response to public complaints about the high charges on many public services， some local pricing watchdogs have even cited covering of payment of employees and daily expenses as an excuse.
The effect of the streamlining of administration and delegation of power to lower levels isn’t simply reflected by the reduction of the number of administrative approval procedures but by feedback from affected parties. Whether or not the public and enterprises are getting things done faster and with more cost-effectiveness will determine their satisfaction with the reform.
Premier Li essentialized the reform during a teleconference held by the State Council on May 12. He said， “First， we should give up control over matters we shouldn’t meddle with； second， we should exert control over things we should govern； third， we should put what we have promised into practice.”Li’s words demonstrate the Central Government’s resolve to transform government functions， innovate and improve government management， and provide quality public services.
Only after the government succeeds in shifting its focus of work toward creating a sound business environment and safeguarding social justice and fairness， can it effectively spur the creativity of all kinds of market entities and give full play to internal dynamics of the economy.