Simpler procedures, law on environmental protection insurance

Ministries have responded to a series of media and public inquiries about policies in the last week.

The State Administration for Industry & Commerce and the State Administration of Taxation explained their recent move to combine business license and tax registration forms into one, which will be introduced first to four pioneer provinces and municipalities.

The two administrations said that private business is an essential part of China's economy, adding that simplifying administrative procedures and making them more convenient has long been an aim of the State Council. Since they combined the licenses for enterprises and agricultural cooperatives in October last year, the State Council accelerated reform for small businesses. The move will not only make administrative procedures more convenient for small businesses, but also enhance the sharing of their data among government departments.