Premier Li Keqiang presided over a State Council executive meeting on Sept 29 which discussed issues of fair and regulated business environment, “sponge cities” and new energy and low-emission vehicles.

Creating a fair and regulated business environment is important in clearing barriers and relieving burdens for entrepreneurship and innovation as reform of streamlining administration and delegating powers are under way.

The meeting decided that 62 local government administrative approval items authorized by central government will be removed; 89 intermediary services including confirmation of professional skills of express delivery men will no longer be requirements for acceptance of administrative approval.

Coordination and cooperation among market regulating, administrative approval and industry supervising departments will be strengthened to enable applicants to get a license before receiving administrative approval.

The meeting stressed the establishment of mechanisms of “double-random” inspection in market regulation, which means both inspecting objects and inspectors will be randomly selected, and “double-notification” in administrative approval, which means strengthening regulation by informing administrative approval departments and applicants to get administrative approval after receiving a business license.

The meeting also discussed issues of “sponge cities” aimed at improving urban water ecology and water-logging prevention capacity by collecting and utilizing rainwater.

The meeting decided to coordinate construction of sponge cities with renovation of shantytowns, dilapidated buildings and old communities and improve urban drainage and storage facilities.

Sponge city projects will be carried out in new city districts, parks and gardens, and development areas to improve urban rainwater collecting capacity.

Public-private partnership, government procurement, financial subsidies, and other new modes to attract social investment will be adopted to financially support the development of sponge cities.

New energy and low-emission vehicle development was another issue discussed. Supporting policies will be improved to back research and development of battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. The number of new energy vehicles in government organizations and institutions and public transport will be increased and local governments should not set traffic controls and purchase quota on new energy vehicles.

Vehicles with an engine capacity below 1.6 L (including 1.6 L) will enjoy a cut of half the tax rate on purchasing a car from Oct 1, 2015 until Dec 31, 2016.

The meeting also decided to carry out special operations to obsolete “yellow label cars”, which are heavy-polluting vehicles, ensuring elimination of the high-emission vehicles in 2017.