The Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce has launched new initiatives to help create a business-friendly environment.

The efforts are being rolled out at an administrative center that integrates market supervision and taxation services.

The center was unveiled in Beijing's Daxing district in June 2017. Since its inauguration, the center has introduced a series of new policies.

They include the ability to make appointments on WeChat, a social media platform, delivery of certificates and other documents by mail, and expanded services online.

Also, a staff member of the center will be dedicated to following the entire business registration process for each applicant.

The center's officials said the facility includes a service section tailor-made for new businesses, which has reduced the approval period of new business registration to five working days.

The streamlined approval process has been applied to the entire city.

Sun Jialin, head of the business registration department at BAIC's Daxing branch, told Beijing Morning Post that his team has begun to offer online services to founders of limited companies.

Those services include filing applications, submitting required documents, confirming shareholders' electronic signatures and generating electronic business licenses.

An applicant only needs half a day to secure an electronic business license after his or her application, Sun added.

The Daxing branch has issued nearly 600 electronic business licenses in the first quarter of this year, doubling the number issued last year, according to Sun.

At an administrative service center of BAIC's Chaoyang district branch, a one-stop service window designed for new business registration, began to accept filings in late March.

Applicants can file for business registration online, corporate seals funded by the Beijing government, and taxation invoices.

More than 80 percent of new businesses opt for the online administrative services, said Deng Huimin, chief of the business registration department at BAIC.

(China Daily 05/11/2018 page24)