Regulate approval procedures

Want to start an investment program? Be prepared to face kilograms of paperwork.

During the recent People's Congress of Hainan province, a representative displayed a detailed road map showing one has to apply for over 30 approvals, which means getting hundreds of stamps, just to acquire a piece of land, a process that would take at least 272 working days.

Another entrepreneur told Xinhua news agency how he spent five years getting approvals for a single project. A Beijing News editorial advocates drafting more detailed nationwide regulations for administrative procedures to limit the discretionary powers of certain government departments.