Firms hail online service platform

Companies have lauded an online platform unveiled by the Shanghai government this year that facilitates company registrations, saying it has greatly improved efficiency in the business environment.

The platform - launched in March - provides services for 327 business-related matters, according to Jiang Hongjun, director of Pudong New Area's administrative service center. It also allows users to handle most things online instead of having to travel in person to the service center.

Other districts in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, have rolled out similar systems.

"Our goal is to understand each user's unique situation before providing advice on what documents they need and the bureaus they need to approach," said Chen Bo, director of government affairs data management at the Jing'an district administrative service center in Shanghai.

Li Longguan, the legal representative of Shanghai Kangji Storage Co, is one customer who has benefitted from the online platform.

"Registering a license used to be a very complicated and inconvenient process. If you weren't familiar with the process, you'd have to spend hours shuttling between the center and other bureaus just to submit the required documents," he said.

"But this new website has greatly shortened the process. It connects all the different bureaus under a single platform and allows them to share information. This means we no longer have to travel to different places to submit the same document. It saves a lot of time and money."

Du Ping, an employee at Shanghai Ji Wa Da Jing Food and Beverage Management Co, praised the system's easy-to-understand instructions for business registration. He recently applied for a food distribution license.

"Instead of taking a number and waiting in line for someone at the center to explain the process, the website tells me the required steps," Du said. "I can even complete most of the steps online."

It meant he had to travel to the administrative service center only once, he added. "The entire process was very convenient. I could pick up the license within a few days."

The construction industry is among those that face the most difficult business registration process.

A project representative from Haier, the home appliance maker, said the online service platform has reduced the time required to get a license from the usual 200 days to just 60 days.

"We used to have to charter a minibus just to transport more than 6,000 drawings to different bureaus and departments for approval. It was a very tedious process," said the representative, who did not want to be identified.

"Now, we can simply upload all the materials and drawings online. This is a massive boost in efficiency and has made life a lot easier for us."

Authorities plan to introduce a payment method that allows people to use Alipay, WeChat or Union-Pay for the required fees on government websites.

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn