To the People’s Governments of all cities and autonomous prefectures, the Gansu Mining Area Office, the Lanzhou New Area Administrative Committee, all departments of the Provincial Government, and all central government units in Gansu:
To thoroughly implement the State Council’s deployment requirements for deepening the “delegation of powers, streamlining administration, and improving services” (DSS) reform, further advance the province-wide DSS reform in the investment and construction sector, reforms to the investment project approval system and the engineering construction project approval system, and the development of the social credit system, enhance the standardization, normalization, and convenience of government services for investment and construction projects, and comprehensively optimize the business environment, the Provincial Government hereby issues the following opinions on implementing the credit commitment system reform for enterprise investment and construction projects, with the approval of the Provincial Government.
I. General Requirements
(1) Guiding Principles. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and all plenary sessions of the 19th Central Committee, thoroughly carry out General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions regarding Gansu, accelerate the transformation of government functions, and deepen the “streamlining administration, delegating power, and improving services” reform. With “notification and commitment combined with in-process and post-approval supervision” as the core, we will adhere to the principle of giving equal emphasis to standardizing approvals and optimizing services, delegating power and strengthening supervision, and improving policies and providing technical support.strengthen the construction of the social credit system in the investment and construction sector, focus on clarifying policy boundaries, improving institutional mechanisms, and enhancing reform coordination, further implement the autonomy and primary responsibility of enterprises in investment and construction projects, fully stimulate the vitality and momentum of social investment, and provide strong support for promoting high-quality development.
(2) Work Requirements.
The government sets the standards.For enterprise investment and construction projects and approval matters not included in the “Negative List for Credit Commitment-Based Approval of Enterprise Investment and Construction Project Approval Management Matters in Gansu Province (2022 Edition)” (see Annex 1, hereinafter referred to as the “Negative List”), relevant provincial-level industry authorities shall use the standards established by laws and regulations as the criteria for market access commitments. They shall, by industry, sector, and specific matter, research and formulate the content and standards of credit commitments for approval matters involved in the implementation of enterprise investment and construction projects, publish them to the public, and refine the operational procedures of the online application platform.Municipal and prefectural governments, as well as the Lanzhou New Area Administrative Committee, shall formulate supporting measures, determine the types of credit commitment-based approvals item by item based on local conditions, and ensure that “commitments can be made for matters not listed in the negative list.”
Enterprises make commitments. For enterprise investment construction projects and approval matters that meet the standards, enterprises may voluntarily choose to make legally binding credit commitments in accordance with government-established standards. After public disclosure, enterprises may proceed with relevant work in accordance with laws and regulations. The province-wide “One-Stop Online Processing” approval service platform for investment construction projects (hereinafter referred to as the “One-Stop Online Processing” platform) and the provincial social credit information platform shall establish dedicated sections for the credit commitment system to publicly display relevant information such as credit commitments, fulfillment of commitments, evaluation results, and credit filing certificates.
Strengthen process supervision. In accordance with the principle of “whoever approves, supervises; whoever oversees, supervises,” we will improve the mechanism linking approval and supervision to achieve real-time sharing of approval and supervision information.Industry regulatory authorities at all levels will strengthen oversight of the project implementation process, urge enterprises to fulfill their commitments, clarify key regulatory milestones and corresponding requirements, implement credit-based tiered and categorized supervision as well as “double-random, one-public” supervision, incorporate dynamic supervision into the “One-Stop Online Service” platform, and synchronize and share relevant regulatory information—including administrative approvals, inspections, and penalties—with the platform.
Credit-based rewards and penalties. In accordance with the principle that “whoever agrees to the commitment is responsible for supervision and acceptance,” relevant departments shall organize project acceptance and implement rewards and penalties in accordance with laws and regulations, based on the credit commitments and standards. Only projects that pass acceptance may be put into use; projects that fail to meet the commitment requirements must be urged to rectify the issues, and those with serious violations shall be punished in accordance with laws and regulations.
(3) Overall Objectives. This reform primarily targets newly started enterprise investment filing projects and will gradually extend to approval-based and approval-for-record projects. By the end of 2022, supporting measures for the credit commitment system at all levels and across all departments will be fully established, operational procedures will be clearly defined, the “One-Stop Online Service” platform will be further improved, and the “single-map” approval process will be fully implemented for newly started enterprise investment filing projects.By the end of June 2023, the rate of credit commitment system implementation for approval matters outside the negative list shall reach over 60%.
II. Types of Approval Services
(1) Credit Commitment-Based Approval. For approval items not listed in the negative list or those not eligible for the credit commitment system, local authorities may independently determine whether to implement credit commitment-based approval, and enterprises may choose whether to proceed under this system. For items subject to credit commitment-based approval, once an enterprise makes a legally binding credit commitment in accordance with government-established standards and publicly discloses it, the approval authority may directly issue an approval decision.
(2) “Standard Land.” When enterprises invest in industrial projects on “standard land,” this refers to state-owned construction land with clear ownership rights, where regional assessments have been completed and basic conditions necessary for project commencement—such as water, electricity, and road access, as well as land grading—have been met, and which is transferred with control indicators such as fixed-asset investment intensity and tax revenue per mu. For approval items subject to the notification and commitment system, the approval authority may directly issue an approval decision after the land-using enterprise makes a written commitment and completes the public disclosure.
(3) Regional Assessment and Review. For approval matters not covered by the negative list and not subject to regional assessment, local authorities shall independently determine whether to include them within the scope of regional assessment.In accordance with the “Implementation Plan for Regional Assessment and Review of Investment and Construction Projects in Gansu Province” (see Annex 3), local authorities shall independently define assessment regions, complete the relevant preliminary assessment and review work involved in the investment and construction project approval process in advance, and produce comprehensive, regionalized assessment and review results. These results shall be made available for shared use by construction projects entering the region, and individual construction projects shall no longer undergo separate assessment and review during the approval process.
(4) Simulated Approval. In accordance with the “Implementation Plan for Simulated Approval of Investment and Construction Projects in Gansu Province” (see Annex 4), for projects that meet the criteria, voluntarily submit an application, and make a commitment, the review process shall commence and simulated approval opinions shall be issued before the project undergoes preliminary review for construction land use. Once land transfer (allocation) procedures are completed and the statutory approval conditions are met, relevant departments shall issue formal approval documents, thereby converting the simulated approval into formal approval.
(5) Acceptance with Missing Documents.In accordance with the “Implementation Plan for Acceptance of Investment Construction Projects with Missing Documents in Gansu Province” (see Annex 5), for administrative approval matters that meet basic requirements, have complete primary application materials, and satisfy statutory conditions, but lack secondary requirements or procedures, relevant functional departments shall first accept and review the application. They shall provide a single notification specifying the materials to be supplemented, the deadline, and the procedures for handling overdue cases. Upon completion of the supplementary materials, approval opinions shall be issued promptly, and relevant approval documents and licenses shall be granted.
(6) Agency Services. In accordance with the “Implementation Plan for Agency Services for Enterprise Investment Construction Projects in Gansu Province” (see Annex 6), relying on government service halls at all levels, relatively independent agency service institutions shall be established to accept commissions from project entities. These institutions shall provide free assistance to project entities in handling the declaration of enterprise investment construction projects, as well as guidance and coordination, and shall offer investors various services including consultation, guidance, coordination, and agency services.
(7) Land Use Checklist System. Prior to land transfer, local natural resources departments shall conduct a survey of the current land status, while relevant administrative departments such as development and reform, ecology and environment, water conservancy, and earthquake administration shall propose key evaluation indicators for the project. Based on the results of the land survey and the evaluation indicators, each relevant administrative department or municipal public utility service unit shall propose technical design requirements. The natural resources department shall compile these into a checklist and distribute it to the land transferee, who may then proceed with engineering design based on the checklist.
III. Credit Commitment Procedures
(1) Project Filing. The entry point for the “One-Stop Online Service” platform is uniformly located on the Provincial Government Service Network, serving as the sole entry point for investment and construction project filings across the province. After project entities submit project information in accordance with regulations, they will obtain a project code. The information submitted by project entities follows the principle of “submit once, access across all platforms”; no platform may require duplicate submissions.
(2) Instant Approval and Processing. When an enterprise submits a filing-type project and makes a credit commitment, the system automatically identifies it. For eligible projects, the system automatically assigns a code and issues approval, allowing the enterprise to immediately download and print the credit filing certificate. After project filing, the system notifies the approval personnel, who must conduct a review within one working day. For projects with issues, the filing may be withdrawn, and the specific problems must be communicated to the enterprise, thereby effectively improving the post-approval supervision and error-correction mechanism.
(3) Pre-construction Guidance. After a company’s filing-based project is verified and confirmed, the “One-Stop Online Service” platform automatically forwards the project information to all departments responsible for pre-construction approval procedures and notifies relevant staff via text message, at which point the system begins a countdown. Within two working days, the relevant staff must use the online platform (including the “Mobile Service” app) to indicate whether the approval procedure is required.For approval procedures that require processing, the system will provide information on the approval level, required documents, processing deadlines, and prerequisite procedures; for projects eligible for the credit commitment system, it will specify the type of commitment-based processing, relevant requirements, prerequisite procedures, credit commitment requirements, and templates. The “One-Stop Online Service” platform will consolidate guidance information from all units, automatically generate a “single-map” overview of project approval procedures, and estimate the time required for project implementation.Project entities may view the “single-page overview” via the online platform (including “Zhangshangban”) and complete various approval procedures according to the relevant guidelines. After engineering construction projects are filed, subsequent work is carried out through the Engineering Construction Project Approval System. In regions where the list of approval management items is comprehensive and the processing procedures are clear, the preliminary guidance phase may be skipped, and the system will automatically generate the guidance results.
(4) Credit Commitment. For enterprise investment construction projects and approval matters that meet the criteria, a commitment-based processing option is provided. After selecting the commitment-based processing option, the enterprise makes a legally binding credit commitment in accordance with the processing type and relevant requirements provided during the preliminary guidance. Following public disclosure, the enterprise proceeds with the relevant work in accordance with laws and regulations.
(5) Project Acceptance. Enterprises may directly access the platform for processing preliminary procedures via the “One Map” system and submit all required documents in accordance with the guidance requirements. For projects with incomplete or problematic documentation, approval officers shall notify the project entity of all deficiencies in a single notification. The clock begins ticking once the approval officer accepts the application. For cases eligible for the credit commitment system—such as those involving regional assessments, acceptance with missing documents, simulated approvals, agency services, or the land use list system—enterprises shall be promptly guided to proceed in accordance with regulations.
(6) Approval Processing. Departments responsible for preliminary approval procedures shall process approval matters in accordance with relevant regulations. For projects requiring consultation and evaluation, solicitation of departmental opinions, solicitation of public opinions, or expert review as stipulated, the timer may be paused while relevant work is expedited in accordance with requirements; the time spent on such activities shall not be counted toward the project approval timeline. For matters where enterprises request processing under the commitment-based system type specified during preliminary guidance, such matters shall be processed promptly in accordance with relevant regulations.Upon completion of project approval procedures, the relevant approval departments shall immediately feed back the approval information to the “One Map” system, and the project entity may proceed with subsequent approval procedures in accordance with the map.
(7) Construction in Accordance with Standards. For enterprise investment projects that receive no objections after the public notice period expires, the enterprise may, within the scope of its commitment, select participating entities such as engineering survey, design, construction, and supervision firms in accordance with laws and regulations, and promptly report details regarding survey, consultation, design, mapping, testing, construction, and supervision to the relevant departments through the “One-Stop Online Service” platform.For cases where relevant approval documents from the approval authority are indeed required, the enterprise may supplement the corresponding application materials in accordance with the requirements of the Standardized Service Guide for Administrative Approval. After review by the approval authority, the relevant documents will be issued, and the legal validity of the enterprise’s original commitment remains unchanged.
(8) Final Acceptance. When a project meets the conditions for final acceptance, the enterprise shall promptly submit an acceptance application via the “One-Stop Online Service” platform. The platform shall immediately initiate secondary guidance; relevant acceptance authorities and departments responsible for the credit commitment system shall, within 2 working days, provide feedback via the online platform (including the “Mobile Service” app) on whether acceptance of the relevant approval procedures is required, with the results displayed on the “Single Map.”For procedures requiring acceptance, all relevant requirements shall be communicated in a single notification, and relevant personnel shall be organized to conduct a centralized acceptance inspection in accordance with the law and regulations, comparing the actual results against the commitments and standards. The project may only be put into use after passing the acceptance inspection; projects that fail to meet the commitment requirements shall be urged to rectify the issues, and those with serious violations shall be subject to disciplinary actions in accordance with the law and regulations. Upon completion of the project acceptance, the implementation of the credit commitment system throughout the project approval and implementation process shall be evaluated, and rewards and penalties shall be enforced accordingly.
IV. Supporting Policy Measures
(1) Standardize credit management for investment and construction projects. In accordance with the “Gansu Province Enterprise Investment and Construction Project Credit Management Measures” (see Annex 2), explore the establishment of a credit scoring system for enterprises in the investment and construction sector; strengthen mid- and post-process supervision of the commitment system reform for enterprise investment and construction projects; standardize credit commitment behaviors in enterprise investment and construction projects; and reinforce incentives for trustworthy conduct and penalties for dishonest conduct.
(2) Coordinate the management of the “One-Stop Online Service” platform. In accordance with the “Gansu Province Management Measures for the ‘One-Stop Online Service’ Approval Service Platform for Investment and Construction Projects” (see Annex 7), integrate online and offline operations, and establish mechanisms such as dedicated approval service teams, positive/negative feedback systems, traffic light indicators, and service rating systems to achieve convenient and efficient services as well as standardized and effective management across both online and offline channels.
(3) Continuously advance the development of the “One-Stop Online Service” platform. Continue to promote the consolidation and integration of data resources and application support systems; establish cross-departmental, cross-level, and cross-regional coordination mechanisms; continuously optimize administrative procedures, improve service quality, and strengthen mid- and post-project supervision; achieve resource integration, service coordination, and effective oversight across all levels and types of platforms; ensure that preferential policies are “available without the need to visit in person”; and promote the “single-window acceptance, one-stop online processing, and unified online management” of investment and construction project approvals.
V. Support Measures
(1) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Relevant departments, including the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, must earnestly fulfill their sectoral responsibilities, carry out publicity and interpretation efforts, provide professional training, ensure policy implementation, and guarantee the achievement of expected outcomes. Municipal and prefectural governments, as well as the Lanzhou New Area Administrative Committee, must refine work measures, further clarify responsibilities, workflows, and completion deadlines, and ensure the effective implementation of policies.
(2) Strengthen Assessment and Evaluation. The Office of the Provincial Leading Group for Optimizing the Business Environment will incorporate the progress of the credit commitment system reform for investment and construction projects into the provincial business environment evaluation index system, organizing routine supervision, quarterly reports, and annual evaluations. The approval service scores from the “One-Stop Online Service” platform will be included as a weighted component in the performance evaluation of key tasks for cities and prefectures, with scores reported monthly and evaluated quarterly.
(3) Strengthen Publicity and Guidance. All localities and departments shall actively provide policy consultation and guidance, thoroughly identify advanced practices and exemplary cases emerging from the credit commitment system reform, and widely publicize them through various channels to enhance corporate willingness to invest and foster a positive public opinion environment.
