After announcing 36 measures specifically aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in their development last September, the government of Fujian province issued another set of measures in late January this year to help enterprises cope with the impact of the global financial crisis. Some Opinions on Further Easing the Burdens of Enterprises to Promote Economic Development include measures for abolishing, suspending or reducing a number of administrative fees and government fund levies, suitably reducing the price of land transfers, standardising fees charged by intermediary agencies and public service sectors, and strengthening the supervision and inspection of enterprise-related administrative behaviours of administrative organs.
The part of the document most worthy of attention is the "comprehensive screening of charges on enterprise-related administrative fees". Fujian will abolish or suspend the collection of a number of administrative fees. These include the abolition of paperwork fee for motor vehicle repair service licence, higher-level management fees imposed on construction quality inspection, fees for provincial-level preliminary examination and approval of disinfectants, sterilisation apparatus and cosmetics, and arbitration fees for food and health related disputes. Departments in charge of land and resources will also suspend the collection of registration fees on collectively-owned township mining enterprises and individually-owned mining operations. At the same time, charges on a number of administrative fees and government fund levies will be reduced. Administrative fees retained after screening must be clearly shown at various fee-collection points. Meanwhile, people's governments at various levels are also allowed to suitably reduce the price for the transfer of industrial land in order to bolster domestic demand and in the light of the market situation.
Responding to some comments from enterprises that some intermediary agencies are charging numerous and excessively high fees for administrative and public services on the strength of the administrative organs they are attached to, the new measures further standardised the collection of fees by intermediary agencies and public service sectors on enterprises.
At the same time, the document calls for the strengthening of supervision over the administrative behaviours of administrative organs, prohibiting them from taking advantage of supervision and inspection exercises to indiscriminately impose charges on enterprises. Fees charged by administrative organs for inspection and sampling tests are standardised. Administrative organs must pay for the product samples they take for inspection and testing purposes in accordance with law. The administration of the collection of training fees and activities organised to give recognition to up-to-standard enterprises are also standardised. Enterprises must not be forced to take part in evaluations, appraisals, awards of excellence, assessment of standards, upgrades, ranking and commendation activities that are not approved by the authorities. The apportionment of charges on enterprises, the uncompensated use of property belonging to enterprises, and measures forcing enterprises to provide sponsorships or give donations or doing so under disguise are prohibited. Enterprises must also not be forced to place advertisements or place orders for newspapers, books, magazines and audio-visual products against their will.
