Opinions on accelerating the establishment of a digital service system for starting business by Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Shanghai Public Security Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, State Taxation Administration, Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Shanghai Provident Fund Management Center,The People’s Bank of China, Shanghai Head Office

Administrations for Market Regulation, Science and Technology Commissions,Commissions of Commerce, branches of Public Security Bureau, Administrations of Tax Service,Human Resources and Social Security Bureaus of all districts, Administration for Market Regulation of Lin-gang Special Area, the Airport Branch of Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, financial institutions of banking business:

  In order to carry out the deployment of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government of Shanghai on urban digital transformation, and to accelerate the establishment of a digital service system,as well as to secure and improve the quality and level of service in Shanghai for starting business, the following opinions are proposed for guidance:

1. General goal

To thoroughly implement the guidelines in Opinions on comprehensively promoting the urban digital transformation in Shanghai by the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, with the responses of enterprises as the basis and focus,the quality of digital service for starting business is to be improved. Relevant government departments shall give full play to digital technology as a catalyst to empower the service system for starting business, with theonline Integrated Registration Service(herein after referred to as IRS) system as the core. A new digital service system featuring in a more powerful and efficient modewith broader coverage of application is to be established, ensuringthat the whole process of application for starting business including the registration for business license (with official seals), invoice, social insurance for employment and provident fund of employees can be Applied in One Form and Claimed via One Windowwithin one day, free of charge.Thus the digital transformation of incorporation and business operation of enterprises will be accelerated.

2. Keytasks

(1) To continuously promote the digital service capability and accelerate the integrated digital transformation of starting business with the IRS system as the core. The functions and services provided by the IRS system are to be further integrated and expanded, aiming at fully releasing the power of digital technology. The digital service for starting business is to be forged into a chain of services, with the whole-process paperless electronic registration at the beginning, the online application for invoice/social insurance for employment and the provident fund as the extension, and the obtainment of the electronic license (E-license), electronic official seals (E-seal) and electronic invoice (E-invoice) at the end.

1. The coverage of the whole-process paperless electronic registration shall be actively expanded, promoting the digital transformation of incorporation application for starting business. The relevant functionsof the IRS system are to be upgraded, allowing different types of enterprises and their branches which meet the criteria to be registered in the whole-process paperless electronic mode. The self-declaration of enterprise domiciles is to be promoted gradually, enterprises located in qualified commercial buildings are to be registered electronically.

2. The smart screening capability of the IRS system shall be continuously improved, promoting the digital transformation of examination and approval for starting business. The self-declaration and smart screening function of the IRS system are to be upgraded, in order to reduce artificial examination. Declaration and commitment mechanism of enterprise name, together with the standardized business scope, is to be extended on a citywide scale, which helpsgreatly in improving the efficiency of approval.

3. The obtainment of E-license, E-seal, and E-invoice by newly incorporated enterprisesshall be vigorously popularized, promoting the digital transformation of obtaining certification for starting business. The application for E-invoice is integrated into the IRS system, an applicant can apply for E-invoice when registering an enterprise on the IRS system, which is to be issued together with the automatically generated E-license and E-seal. Applicants are encouraged to complete all the registrations needed for starting business by Filling in One Form, and to obtainE-license, E-seal and E-invoice at One Time.

(2) To explore the outcomes and maximize the using value of digital service reform andsupport the digital transformation of business operation of enterprises with the E-license as the axis.Following the latest trend of business operation in digital era, E-seal and E-invoice, as the outcomes of digital reform, together with E-license, shall be put in broader use, ensuring the information sharing and processingsynergyto be carried out on a bigger scale and to a deeper extent. Meanwhile, new modes and new applications are to be explored to support the digital transformation of business operation of enterprises.

1. The usage of E-license in government service scenes shall be intensified. Based on the service system focusing on the application of E-license, the unified ID verification of Government Online-Offline Shanghai official website shall be provided with the verification capability of market entities nationwide. Government service systems of various departments shall be connected to the Government Online-Offline Shanghai to perform real-name verification, ID verification and log-in service for market entities nationwide. Electronic signature and E-seal shall be put in further use to gradually realize the whole-process online modification registration for enterprises.

2. The scenes of E-license use in business operation shall be expanded. To promote the information sharing mechanism of E-license, providing banks offering service for enterprises with capabilities as inquiry, archiving, verification and so on. Commercial banks are encouraged to open accounts for enterprises using the E-license as thecertification, thus enterprises don’t have to submit the original version or copies of the printed paper licenses. The use of E-license and E-seal in bank account opening and other application scenes of E-license/E-seal are to be further explored, especially in the online reconciliation between banks and enterprises.

(3) To optimize the reconstruction of process and ruleswith the support of enterprise-related information sharing, continuously promoting the experience of digital service for starting business. The optimization of online and offline process and rules gives full play to the IRS system as the hub of information exchange. The information is to be accurately shared and efficiently used, thus the data-basedreform on digital service system can take effect swiftly.

1. To effectively promote the sharing efficiency of enterprise registration information. The real-time sharing and application mechanism of enterprise registration information shall be continuously optimized, ensuring that the service for enterprises incorporated in different modes be offered in the same quality and under the same criteria. Whether an applicant chooses to register an enterprise by Filling in One Form (apply for invoice, social insurance for employment and provident fund registration together when applying for business license) or to apply separately (apply for invoice, social insurance for employment and provident fund registrationin the IRS system or other websites of relevant departments after obtaining the business license), it can obtain invoices and a free tax U-key on the same day once its application is accepted by the tax authority. The registration of social insurance for employment and provident fund can be done wholly online with no need to submit any documents or claim any certificates.

2. To gradually promote the sharing and application of enterprise bank accounts information. The sharing of enterprise bank accounts shall be gradually promoted, focusing on the needs of business operation, in order to further streamline the bank account application procedure for enterprise related government service. To apply for the registration of social insurance for employment and the provident fund for employees, a newly incorporated enterprise is not required to sign a tripartite agreement of withholding, or to choose the way of payment, there is no need to file the bank account information of the enterprise to government departments. The national and municipal reform policy on the collection of social insurance fee is to be fully implemented. After incorporation, the social insurance fees of employees of an enterprise are to be unitedly collected by the tax authority.

3. Requirements on enforcement

(1) To deepen the understanding and firmly promote the progress. Relevant departments shall fully understand the significance of Internet Plus Government Service as the key element of the reforms on streamlining administration, delegating powers, and improving regulation and services.They shall promote the publicityof the policies, making various digital online government service approaches fully known and used by enterprises and the public, thusthe convenience and efficiency of starting business can beimproved through interaction.

(2) To set unified plan and consider comprehensively, benefit the public with high efficiency. Relevant departments shall actively promote the online process for application, meanwhile continuously optimize the Single Window or service counter offline based on the needs of applicants. The offline service such as aiding or guiding in application is to be significantly improved, ensuring that all applicants can benefit from the reform.

(3) To promote the reform orderly in accordance with the law and make risk controllable. Relevant departments shall carry out the integrated reform on streamlining administration, delegating powers based on the facts of local social development and administration of different departments, promote the reform measures in an orderly pattern in accordance with the law, ensuring that the process and risks of starting business are controllable.

(4) To intensively implement the reform with goal-orientation ideology. Relevant district departments shall perfect permanent mechanisms according to municipal departments and in cooperation with district governments, ensuring that the reforming measures over the years to be fully implemented, comprehensively elevating government service quality to a higher level. Meanwhile, they shall check and evaluate the achievement of business environment optimization reform in earnest coordination with municipal departments, in order to further promote service quality.

The Opinions shall take effect on the date of issue, and shall be valid within 5 years.

Shanghai Administration forShanghai Municipal Commission

Market Regulationof Economy and Informatization

Shanghai Public Security BureauShanghai Municipal Tax Service,

State TaxationAdministration

Shanghai Municipal Human ResourcesShanghai Provident Fund

and Social Security BureauManagement Center

The People’s Bank of China,

ShanghaiHead Office

March31, 2021

(This document is to be publicly issued)