Government aims to improve quality of services

The central government has rolled out a raft of measures to improve the quality and efficiency of government services, pledging to further streamline procedures and materials to minimize costs for businesses and enhance public satisfaction.

In a guideline published on Jan 16, the State Council, China's Cabinet, outlined efforts to expand one-stop administrative services for the general public.

The government will strengthen the development of channels that the public can use to access services, and more services will be handled at centralized centers to ensure unified acceptance and one-stop processing.

Meanwhile, more high-frequency services will be made accessible online as the government seeks to connect regional and departmental platforms into a cohesive network.

The efficiency of the official 12345 hotline will be further enhanced so that it can more effectively handle inquiries, complaints, assistance requests and suggestions.

Officials and experts have stressed the significance of the latest policy document in revolutionizing the nation's administrative services and bolstering its business environment.

The policy measures follow decadelong efforts from the central government to streamline administration and improve its services as it seeks to further stimulate social creativity and boost efficiency.

Sun Haibin, head of the bureau of administrative approval and services in Wulian county, Shandong province, said the latest guideline has provided "a strong guarantee and guidance" for establishing a new pattern of government services to give businesses and individuals a stronger sense of gain.

He explained that such guidance has been lacking for grassroots authorities, and the latest policies will resolve that problem.

The latest policy has laid the groundwork for the connectivity and data sharing of different administrative service systems, paving the way for authorities to pilot more reform measures to make their services more easily accessible, he said.

He added that the county has already piloted practices to help people manage their affairs in one go under 151 scenarios.

The central government also reaffirmed its commitment to enabling more services to be accessed across provincial-level regions, with more administrative items to be processed online and data allowed to be shared across regions.

The empowerment of government services with digital technology will receive greater impetus, as the guideline stressed the need to encourage the use of big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence to make services more interactive and data-driven.

Meng Qingguo, a professor with the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, said a key feature of the latest policy measures is the emphasis placed on solving problems facing businesses and individuals.

The government has adopted a user-centric approach as it seeks to refine the methods, procedures and experiences for its services, he said.