China has been taking multiple measures to streamline its grassroots governance in recent years, giving local level officials more time to devote to their respective communities and provide essential help and support to allow businesses to flourish.
One area to benefit is the Guanzhou sub-district in south China's Guangzhou City, which boasts a population of nearly 80,000 and is also home to hundreds of enterprises across various industries.
Here, local officials from the Communist Party of China are on hand to offer essential assistance including helping business operators source new customers and expand into new markets, while also standing ready to address any issues they may face along the way.
Guangzhou has implemented the 'Reductions and Streamlining' initiative, which has proved effective in improving efficiency for local-level officials, with unnecessary meetings and inspection tours being reduced and new assessment mechanisms enabling decisions to be made quicker.
All of these steps have given local-level officials extra time to devote to the community and in particular to help out fledging enterprises, delivering a big boost to business.
"In response to issues raised by enterprises, we have established a '1 plus 3 plus 7' feedback mechanism: enterprise inquiries are addressed within one day, site inspections completed within three days, and solutions finalized within seven days. Our goal is to let the enterprises feel the efficiency of our services," said Huang Junyi, director of the Guanzhou sub-district's economic development office.
Huang added that the sub-district has also compiled investment promotion handbooks which are now available in hotels and even restaurants in the area, as a way to facilitate long-term cooperation agreements between major enterprises and local businesses.
One of the main focal points for business is the Loteam Wisdom Valley, which mainly houses AI companies as its core industry. This tech-focused zone has now has attracted over 200 enterprises thanks to its business-friendly environment and efficient processes.
"When a company settles in our valley, the permit process -- which used to take over two weeks -- has been streamlined. The relevant departments would proactively conduct on-site reviews and have established a green channel, cutting the processing time by more than half. This has significantly saved entrepreneurs' time," said Chen Yige, general manager of the Loteam Wisdom Valley.
Grassroots governance model helps boost local business efficiency in Guangzhou
