Innovative system delivers speedy, impressive results

Zhao Baojun, manager of Hongyuan Group, never thought the government processing and approval time for a construction project in Beijing could be shortened to 33 days. But it happened.

The company, which is based in the bonded zone in the city's Shunyi district, applied to build an electric forklift truck charging facility in May last year. According to Zhao, the company needed to get necessary permits to ensure the project met all standards and requirements.

"I was wondering why this happened so fast. Officials in the Beijing government told me it is because they launched a collaborative platform which allows different government departments to work together to process business applications," Zhao said.

"As a highlight of our latest reform policy, companies can apply for and get building permits online starting in 2019. Hongyuan Group, four days after its building permit application, downloaded the final approval document with an electronic seal," said Chen Weidong, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The other impressive practice, which sets the Beijing government apart, is the supervision and management of construction projects. The government has hired a host of reliable third-party mapping agencies to collect construction data for management, which not only takes the pressure off applicants but also enables government to better serve and supervise enterprises.

Wang Wei, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, said: "If there are no problems, government staff members will not disturb the private sector. If the project sticks to the plan and runs smoothly, the private sector will not feel their presence. Only when problems occur will government staff members appear to help coordinate and solve problems and ensure that the project is on the right track."

When Zhao and his colleagues finished construction of their project in April, he was told that the government had arranged a joint inspection.

Departments such as urban planning, fire and civil air defense used to carry out inspections separately. But now these are simultaneous and data are shared among departments. "It only took me two days to pass all the inspections," added Zhao.

On May 21, the electric forklift truck charging facility completed its real estate registration, which took only one day.

"Our project has benefitted from year's policy. I heard that Beijing will have a much easier and quicker process this year," said Zhao. "I rue the day I heard this news ."

(China Daily 05/24/2019 page12)