Huizhou creates better environment for businesses

Huizhou city in Guangdong province has launched a new work system as it makes efforts to create a better environment for businesses.

Under the new system, "chief service officers" (CSO) are introduced to help businesses solve their problems and difficulties.

The CSOs are government officials of various levels, including the city's Party secretary and mayor. Each official is responsible for a certain enterprise or a project, providing one-to-one services.

Since the launch of the system late last year, a total of 1,000 CSOs have been allocated to serve 1,000 enterprises and projects in the city.

The problems range from land use and the financing of enterprises, to the education of employees' children.

"By setting up such a system, we hope to make relations between the government and businesses closer and create a better business environment by helping enterprises solve problems they face in an easier and more efficient way," said Zou Weiming, deputy head of Huizhou Development and Reform Bureau.

"In the past, enterprises had to deal with various government departments. When they met with difficulties, they sometimes did not know whom to talk to. Now, they only need to contact the CSO, who will be responsible for all issues."

So far, 878 problems regarding project construction have been collected, of which 705 have already been solved.

For example, land revaluation and license approval were two major problems facing CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Ltd in its second-phase oil refining project in Huizhou.

"Before the new system came out, it would take about six months to deal with these matters. But with the city's Party Secretary Chen Yiwei acting as our CSO, we were able to solve the problems in six weeks," said Zhao Yan, general manager of CNOOC Huizhou Petrochemicals Company Ltd.

The innovative work system was first piloted in the city's Zhongkai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and promoted citywide after proving successful.

Hu Jiahui, deputy general manager of Unionman Technology Co Ltd, a Zhongkai-located company specializing in making digital television-related products, said the innovation made by the government has helped enhance efficiency and significantly boost the production of the company.

The company was waiting for the granting of an immovable property rights certificate, an indispensable document for banks to lend money to it.

"We originally thought we could only get the certificate in December, but with the help of the CSO, we managed to receive it in September and successfully got 70 million yuan ($10.6 million) in loans from China Guangfa Bank," Hu said.