China vows punishments if business gripes are verified in State Council’s coming investigation
- In Beijing’s bid to realise its ambitious economic growth goals for this year, steps are being taken to ensure local-level authorities are pulling their weight and not making matters worse
- Investigators will be dispatched across the country in the coming weeks, and they have five major issues in their sights, including unfair competition
Following months of mounting complaints from China’s struggling businesses, several teams of investigators will be dispatched to hear their concerns directly – part of a nationwide fact-finding mission launched by the country’s cabinet to address persistent problems and take appropriate action.
Coming hot on the heels of a promise-laden government work report at Beijing’s recent “two sessions” parliamentary gatherings that ordered local-level governments to effectively respond to business concerns, the nationwide inspections will begin next month, according to a notice by the State Council on Thursday.
The effort is in line with Beijing’s promise to keep business policies stable and transparent, while holding local authorities accountable for helping the central government meet its lofty and ambitious economic growth goals.
To that end, Beijing wants private and foreign firms to know their concerns are not going unheard. The State Council is also encouraging enterprises to report any perceived violations, and to make suggestions, on its online platform.
“Inspectors will go to relevant regions to look clues and into cases that are typical or reported by a big cross-section of business entities and the public, and they will take actions and mete out punishments if complaints are verified,” the notice said.
Five key areas are being emphasised: market-access barriers, unfair competition, government services and efficiency issues, rights infringements, and impediments to the national goal of opening up to investors.