1. Halve the time limit for handling tax service complaints

The State Administration of Taxation has recently revised and promulgated the Measures for the Management of Tax Service Complaints, which will be implemented on August 1, 2019.

The new Measures reduce the processing time limit of all kinds of complaints by 50%. The processing time limit of accepting and examining complaints is reduced from 2 working days to 1 working day. The processing time limit of complaints of service quality and protection of rights and interests is reduced from 20 working days to 10 working days. The processing time limit of complaints of service words and deeds is reduced from 10 working days to 5 working days.

In addition, the amendment will review the higher tax authorities as a relief channel. If the complaint handling results are obviously unfair, the complaint can apply to the higher tax authorities for review.

Read in detail:

The Regulations on Complaints Management of Tax Service have been revised. Focusing on serving the people and solving problems

2. There are new regulations on the management of travel, food and transportation expenses in central units

The Ministry of Finance, the State Administration and other departments recently jointly issued the Notice on the Regulation of Management of Travel and Food Expenses and Municipal Transportation Expenses, which came into effect on August 1, 2019.

"Notice" makes it clear that the central unit receives food allowance during the period of business trip. Except for a working meal arranged by the reception unit according to the regulations, the meal expenses shall be settled on their own. If the travel personnel need the assistance of the reception unit in arranging meals, they shall inform the control standard in advance and pay the meal fee to the catering provider.

During the period of business trip, the travelers shall collect the city transportation fee according to the regulations. If the reception unit assists in providing the means of transportation and has a charging standard, the travelling personnel shall pay according to the standard, up to no more than the daily city traffic fee standard; if there is no charging standard, each person shall pay 50% of the daily city traffic fee standard every half day.

Read in detail:

Notice on Standardizing the Management of Travel and Food Expenses and Municipal Traffic Expenses

3. 12 Immigration and Entry-Exit Facilitation Policies

According to the Ministry of Public Security, 12 immigration and entry-exit facilitation policies have been replicated throughout the country since August 1, 2019.

These include expanding the scope of permanent residence applicants for foreign talents, high-level foreign talents, Chinese expatriates with doctoral degrees or long-term work in key development areas of the country, foreign talents with significant outstanding contributions and special needs of the country, long-term work in China that meets the annual wage income standard and tax standards. Foreigners may apply for permanent residence in China with their foreign spouses and minor children. Relax the scope of objects for issuing long-term visas and residence permits: issuing long-term valid visas and residence permits for foreigners who come to China for business, work and research.

Read in detail:

The Ministry of Public Security has promulgated 60 Measures for the convenience of the people: gradually realizing the "nationwide general administration" of all public security certification matters, etc.

4. Increase the standard of pension allowance for some retired servicemen and other preferential recipients

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Finance recently issued a circular that from August 1, 2019, disabled persons (disabled soldiers, disabled people's police, disabled personnel of state organs, disabled militia and civilian workers) will receive regular pensions for their disabilities and "three genera" (survivors of martyrs, victims of military personnel on duty, and survivors of sick soldiers). The standard of living allowance for veterans of the Red Army in rural areas, veterans of the Red Army in rural areas, veterans of the Red Army in rural areas on the West road, and missing members of the Red Army will be raised by 10% on the basis of the current standard of living allowance for veterans and demobilized soldiers in rural areas by 200 yuan per person per month. The standard of living allowance for the elderly children of martyrs will be increased by 200 yuan per person per month on the basis of the current standard. 440 yuan per month increased to 490 yuan.

Read in detail:

On August 1, the state raised again the standard of pension allowances for some retired servicemen and other preferential recipients.

5. What matters should be disclosed and how should standards be made public in rural collective land expropriation?

The Ministry of Natural Resources recently issued the Guidelines for Opening Standards of Grass-roots Government Affairs for Collective Land Expropriation in Rural Areas, which came into effect on August 1, 2019.

The standard guidelines are clear. When drafting documents on rural collective land expropriation, all localities should make clear the ways of publication of documents (active publicity, application publicity and non-publicity). For non-publicity, the reasons should be explained in accordance with the law and regulations. After the first-level and 10 second-level public matters such as preparations for land expropriation, examination and approval of land expropriation, organization and implementation of land expropriation are generated, government information should be timely and voluntarily disclosed through government websites, land expropriation information publicity platform, village public bulletin board and other channels.

Where the application is made public, the relevant provisions and requirements shall be clearly disclosed.

Read in detail:

Ministry of Natural Resources: Guidelines for the Opening Standards of Grass-roots Government Affairs for Collective Land Expropriation in Rural Areas

6. New requirements for electronic declaration of medical device registration

Recently, the State Pharmaceutical Administration issued the Notice on the Requirements for Electronic Declaration of Medical Devices, which came into effect on August 1, 2019.

The Notice requires that, firstly, in the declaration data of imported products, only proof documents, declarations of conformity, instructions and labels should be submitted to the notarial documents issued by the notary organ where the applicant is located. Second, considering the electronic catalogue structure of the medical device registration electronic declaration information system, the page numbers of declaration documents under any level headings can be compiled separately. Thirdly, after the electronic declaration information system of medical device registration has been put into operation, the technical requirements in the electronic registration declaration data are in one copy.

Read in detail:

Circular of the Drug Administration on Information Requirements for Electronic Declaration of Medical Devices

7. Renewal of Green Building Evaluation Criteria into Five Major Indicators

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction issued a revised version of the national standard "Green Building Evaluation Criteria" since August 2019.