Stabler VAT returns to local finance

The State Council, China’s Cabinet, announced a decision to revise the method of calculating value-added tax (VAT) returns to local regions. The central government has been returning part of the VAT intake since 1994 when the reform divided tax collection between the central and local governments. Starting this year, the central government will return a fixed amount of VAT to local governments formulated on the base number for 2015, which will not be changed even if the VAT intake changes.

Plan to implement development agenda

The State Council issued a construction plan for exemplary regions of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which sets out four main tasks. First, the exemplary region should combine the agenda and its own situation to draft a localized sustainable development plan; second, bottlenecks should be made clear and the regions should find systemic solutions to them; third, they should improve their ability to mobilize innovation resources and coordinate economic and social developments. Finally, the regions selected as exemplary zones should share their experiences in technological innovation and sustainable development, to help other regions and provide a China plan on sustainable development to the whole world.

Convenience to boost investment

Premier Li Keqiang signed an order to publish the regulation on approving and registering the investment programs of enterprises, which will come into effect on Feb 1. The regulation further regulates the approval and registration actions of programs, strengthens supervision of officials in the process, optimizes their services, and will hold officials responsible.

Campus security better promoted

The State Council commission in charge of education supervision issued a temporary regulation on supervising campus security for primary, secondary schools and kindergartens nationwide, which made clear the key aspects of their supervision, namely organizing work, rule-building, violence prevention and tackling accidents.

Model contract text published

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the State Administration for Industry & Commerce co-issued a model contract for elderly-care services, and raised requirements for elderly-care agencies, to regulate their services and better protect the rights of senior citizens.

Stricter registration for webcasts

The Ministry of Culture issued a regulation concerning webcasts, which will come into effect on Jan 1. According to the new regulation, webcast platforms must strengthen their regulatory measures over webcasters, register their real names with effective ID cards, and check their identity via face-to-face or video interviews.

Price supervision during holidays

The National Development and Reform Commission issued a notice to arrange supervision over market prices during the coming New Year and Spring Festival holidays. The daily consumption of commodities that are of essential importance to people’s daily lives will be prioritized.