A series of new policies and measures will formally be adopted and come into force in September. Let’s see how they will affect your everyday life in China and check the updates of important news!
Mid-autumn Festival is coming! Get ready for the holiday!
The Mid-Autumn Festival will fall on Sept 21 this year. According to the State Council's notice, there will be a 3-day holiday starting from Sept 19 to 21, while Sept 18 is adjusted as a workday.
HACOS will be off during the holiday and we'll be back to work on Sept 22 (Wed) as usual. Please contact us in advance if you have any need.
According to the Regulation on Public Holidays for National Annual Festivals and Memorial Days, there are 7 Chinese festivals having a holiday for all citizens.
We have summarized the public holidays for the national annual festival in 2021, you can click here or check the following link the get the full content.
Fees on transaction and payment services to be cut
Chinese authorities have rolled out fresh measures to cut fees on transactions and payment services as part of efforts to ease the burdens on market entities and boost the real economy.
Based on surveys of nearly 50,000 small, micro and individual businesses, four government agencies, including the central bank and the top economic planner, introduced 12 fee-cut policies on basic payment services.
The policies, covering areas including bank account services and RMB transactions, will take effect on September 30.
In addition, the People's Bank of China and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission unveiled measures to reduce cross-bank cash withdrawal fees on automated teller machines (ATMs) to facilitate the use of cash.
The move will help reduce capital circulation costs, further optimize the business environment, and promote the quality and expansion of consumption.
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China-Africa economic, trade expo set for September
China will hold the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province, from Sept 26 to 29, with a slew of online and offline activities.
The fair, with the theme "New Start, New Opportunities, and New Accomplishments," will invite six African countries including Kenya and Rwanda as the guests of honor, the organizer said at a press briefing on Aug 30.
© Image | Xinhua
So far, over 9,700 people have signed up for the expo, including those from African embassies in China, international organizations, as well as Chinese enterprises.
During the expo, 12 forums and economic and trade talks will be held in key and emerging areas of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, including cooperation on food and agricultural products, medical and health development, and infrastructure and financial cooperation.
A report on China-Africa economic and trade relations is expected to be released at the expo.
Two new tax laws China to be adopted
Chinese lawmakers voted to adopt two new tax laws, one on urban construction and maintenance tax, and the other dealing with deed tax.
The two laws were passed at the 21st session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature., and will take effect on Sept 1.
Compared with the provisional regulations on urban construction tax, the Urban Construction Tax Law no longer stipulates the special purpose of such taxes.
The Deed Tax Law, which is based on the provisional regulations on deed tax, appropriately extends preferential tax policies and simplified tax-return procedures.
By combining the declaration and payment of the deed tax, the law will reduce the burden on taxpayers and improve the efficiency of tax collection and management, said Wang Jianfan, an official with the Ministry of Finance.
The refund process of air tickets shall be completed within 7 working days
Early this year, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued the Regulation on the Management of Public Air Transportation Services for Passengers. The regulation will be formally adopted on Sept 1.
The regulation focuses on key sectors including ticket sales, change and refund of air tickets, check-in and boarding, baggage transportation, oversales, passenger complaints, and so on.
According to the regulation, in the case of an involuntary ticket refund, the carrier concerned or its ticket sales agent shall not charge any fee for the refund.
In addition, a carrier or its ticket sales agent shall complete the refund process within 7 working days from the date of receipt of the passenger's valid refund request. It does not include the processing time at financial institutions.
Driver's licenses to go digital in 28 Chinese cities
China will roll out digital driver's licenses across the country by 2022, a public security official said on Aug 18.
Li Guozhong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security, told a press conference that over 1.95 million people have obtained digital driver's licenses since a pilot program was launched in the cities of Tianjin, Chengdu and Suzhou on June 1.
The ministry planned to expand the pilot program to more regions in the second half of this year, with more efforts put into improving the information system and supporting institutions, said Li.
The MPS later announced that the country will expand the use of digital driver's licenses in 28 cities from Sept 1, 2021. The cities where driver's licenses will go digital include Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Changchun, Daqing, Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou, Yancheng, Taizhou, Ningbo, etc.
Digital licenses can be used on various occasions, including handling traffic violations and road accidents, filing insurance claims and renting vehicles, and have the same legal effect as paper licenses.
Drivers can apply for a digital licensee through an official mobile app "交管12123".
Education institutions will face stricter measures
China has urged local authorities to strengthen regulations over the registration of off-campus training institutions.
Authorities shall stop approving the registration of new off-campus institutions that provide curriculum subject-tutoring services for students at the stage of compulsory education and those in high schools, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) in a circular.
New off-campus training institutions catering to preschoolers are also banned, said the MCA.
It cited an official document jointly released by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council in July.
For those operating non-academic tutoring programs, a preliminary review shall be applied before their registration.
Teachers' working time can be more flexible
China’s Ministry of Education held a press conference on Monday and introduced information concerning the coming autumn semester.
It is reported that teachers who participate in after-class services can get more flexible working time and obtain subsidies. Retired teachers, qualified professionals and volunteers can be hired for after-class services.
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SOURCE | China Gov / CAAC / Xinhua / China Daily
