The Chinese government has recently removed 789 procedures from its
list requiring administrative approval, in a move to reduce
government intervention and improve efficiency.
Sources said 560 of the 789 procedures involved economic management
affairs, 167 were related to matters of social management, and the
remaining 62 concerned administrative management affairs and other
matters.
The 56 central government departments and institutions, which were
formerly in charge of scrutinizing and approving the 789
procedures, are studying follow-up steps to set up a regular
administrative system, the sources said.
The government has urged all departments and localities across the
country to build a proper administrative system that meets the
requirement of its socialist market economy.
The decision is considered an important step forward in the
government's program launched late last year to reform its
administrative approval system.
(Xinhua News
Agency November 3, 2002)