It is incredibly efficient to collect my business license as it only takes half a day for the review and approval process,” said Wang, a legal representative in Songjiang District after drawing his business license. “The number of documents required has been significantly reduced and the review process has been shortened as well.” The district’s drive to create a supreme business environment for enterprises registered in Songjiang has been extremely efficient. Market regulators in Songjiang have been providing meticulous services to businesses and improving the review and approval process for applicants in licensing, to make business registration increasingly convenient. The local government has spared no efforts in promoting paperless registration, and the whole e-process review and approval covers several areas. By promoting the use of electronic operating licenses, seals and signature, applicants are exempt from multiple visits to submit documents. The e-versions of licenses and seals have the same legal power as physical ones. Since February, more than 19,000 companies in the district have received business licenses within half a day after material submission, and over 6,600 have collected their business licenses under the whole e-process review and approval mechanism. Since April, more than 17,000 newly established businesses have downloaded e-versions of licenses and seals. During the coronavirus epidemic, officials with the district’s market watchdog launched online services, enabling remote identity authentication to replace on-the-spot authentication and video checks and reviews to replace on-the-spot checks. Under the “contactless service” model, the number of new businesses resorting to online review and approval in the district surged nearly six times during the five months from April to August from the same period last year. The district also released a raft of measures to improve the business environment and to boost the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Delta G60 High-tech Corridor. “The approval procedures and the number of materials required have been cut. The approval time has been shortened to make it convenient to get market access and create a better development environment for businesses, thus fueling the development of regional economy,” said Lu Feng, director of the Songjiang District Administration for Market Regulation. In September, 2,746 businesses were registered in Songjiang, surging 93 percent from the same period last year, while new registered capital hit 14.3 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion), soaring 116.96 percent from last year. The district’s market authorities have also extended public services to market supervision and management stations at 18 subdistricts and towns, enabling businesses to apply for food operation and the retail permits of wine products, bridging the “last kilometer” of services, said Lu. In addition, the separate permits of drug and medical apparatus and instruments have been merged into one. By the end of September, 3,856 applications on food operation and retail permits of wine products had been handled under the new mechanism while 247 pharmacies had received unified licenses. The district’s market regulators have spared no efforts to support the development of companies by establishing convenient service platforms. In May, a number of measures were released in the district to support the development of the medical apparatus and instruments industry, and attract businesses in the field to make investment in the district. “We have established a public service platform and trialed new practices on the licensing of medical apparatus and instruments companies,” said Lu. “We enable market supervision and management stations of subdistricts and towns to approve medical apparatus and instruments companies. “The only businesses excluded are those involving diagnostic reagent, which require cold-storage transportation. This cuts the registration and licensing time of such companies to five working days, or by 75 percent from normal practices.” The platform accelerates the integration of research, development and the manufacturing of medical apparatus and instruments companies, and the operation of their outsourcing businesses. It helps us spot partners in product research, development and manufacturing and lifts our working efficiency, according to Pharos Medical (Shanghai) based in Songjiang. “Round-the-clock consultation services on licensing are provided to medical apparatus and instruments companies to attract more enterprises to land in the district,” said Lu. Officials have screened out 44 common violations covering advertisements, special equipment and food safety based on administrative penalty data, and visited companies to promote regulations, raising the awareness of companies to abide by regulations. “Punishments will affect companies’ credibility and this act enables us to check our problems timely and make rectification immediately, helping us prevent risks in advance,” said Sun Jing, director of the management department of the Shanghai Beibo Glass Technology and Industry Co Ltd in the district. “We communicate with officials directly when we have concerns and questions, and such government supervision and management mode is down-to-earth, which helps us tackle problems efficiently.” Officials have also provided customized guidance for time-honored companies and tailoring guidance to Shanghai Film Park and Chenshan Botanical Garden to fuel the district’s tourism industry development. Such guidance has covered 1,120 key enterprises in the district. Strict crackdown on violations that hinder business environment development has been conducted, district authorities said. Bakery operator 21cake, based at Xinqiao Town of the district, has witnessed a 30 percent rise of its bread sales during the epidemic from the same period last year thanks to its e-commerce model. However, it encountered a bottleneck in the licensing of pick-up lockers when developing “contactless delivery” services during the pandemic. Based on the current regulations of online catering services, service providers must have offline stores to operate the lockers, which contradicts the operation mode of the bakery. District market officials worked out a solution system and 28 smart lockers were licensed in a week. A total of 300 such lockers are on the plan, enabling consumers to place orders via mobile apps and then pick up their food from designated delivery lockers at office buildings, Metro stations and residential complexes.