Original Title: A Package of Policy Measures by the Autonomous Region to Implement the Spirit of State Council Document No. 12 [2022] and Promote Steady Economic Growth
(46 Measures Across Nine Areas)
To implement the State Council’s comprehensive policy measures for stabilizing the economy, effectively coordinate COVID-19 prevention and control with economic and social development, and promote stable economic growth in our region to achieve a “positive annual performance,” the following policy measures have been formulated.
I. Fiscal and Tax Policy Measures (6 items)
1. Further Strengthen the Policy on VAT Carryforward Refunds. In accordance with the central government’s directives on expanding the scope of the VAT carryforward refund policy, enterprises in seven sectors—wholesale and retail, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, accommodation and food services, resident services, repair and other services, education, health, and social work, and culture, sports, and entertainment—shall be included in the policy scope for monthly full refunds of incremental carryforward tax credits and one-time full refunds of accumulated carryforward tax credits.Timely disburse the third batch of central transfer payments supporting grassroots-level implementation of tax and fee reductions and key livelihood initiatives, classify these funds as direct-allocation funds, allocate treasury funds separately, and urge all prefectures (autonomous prefectures, cities), counties (cities, districts) to fully and promptly implement the local share of VAT carryforward credit refund funds. Accelerate the processing of VAT carryforward credit refunds for small and micro enterprises and individual businesses while increasing support efforts, and complete the centralized refund of accumulated VAT carryforward credits by June 30.Precisely implement preferential policies such as the temporary exemption from value-added tax for small-scale taxpayers, the reduction of corporate income tax for small and low-profit enterprises, and the halving of the “six taxes and two fees” for small-scale taxpayers, small and low-profit enterprises, and individual business operators.Strengthen monitoring of fiscal operations in all regions (prefectures, cities), counties (cities, districts), and particularly in counties (cities, districts) where VAT carryforward refunds have a significant impact on local fiscal revenue. Enhance treasury fund allocation to ensure the smooth operation of grassroots-level finances and firmly safeguard the bottom line of the “Three Guarantees” (basic living standards, basic public services, and basic government operations), while ensuring that all eligible VAT carryforward refunds are fully processed.Establish a reward and subsidy mechanism for the implementation of the VAT carryover credit refund policy. Research and formulate the “Autonomous Region’s Measures for the Administration of Fiscal Reward and Subsidy Funds to Support the Implementation of Tax Refund, Tax Reduction, and Fee Reduction Policies,” and allocate special funds to provide rewards and subsidies to counties (cities, districts) that have effectively implemented tax refund, tax reduction, and fee reduction policies and where the amount of tax refunds has a significant impact on local fiscal revenue.
2. Accelerate the pace of fiscal expenditure. Central transfer payments will be disbursed to localities within 30 days, and all transfer payments to lower-level governments allocated in the autonomous region’s initial annual budget will be fully disbursed by the end of June. We will supervise and guide prefectures (prefectural-level cities), counties (cities, districts) to accelerate budget execution and ensure timely fund disbursement.Strengthen efforts to mobilize idle funds. Recover and pool surplus funds and carryover funds that have remained unused for two consecutive years in accordance with regulations. For carryover funds held for less than two years that do not need to be used for their original purposes, recover and pool them for use in areas of the economy and society that urgently require support.
3. Accelerate the issuance and utilization of special-purpose bonds and expand the scope of support. In accordance with the principles of early issuance, early utilization, and early results, complete the issuance of all new special-purpose bonds for 2022 by the end of June and disburse the bond funds to project units as soon as possible. Urge project competent authorities and project units to accelerate the expenditure of bond funds in compliance with laws and regulations, strive to substantially complete their use by the end of August, and expedite the generation of tangible project output.Strengthen the reserve of special bond projects. Building on the continued support for nine major sectors—including transportation, energy, water conservancy, and affordable housing—and in accordance with national policies to appropriately expand the scope of special bond support, prioritize the inclusion of new infrastructure and new energy projects within the support scope. Make full use of the policy allowing special bonds to serve as capital for major projects, effectively leveraging special bonds to stimulate social investment.
4. Implement policies for subsidies and rewards on financing guarantee fees for small and micro enterprises. Coordinate the use of central government funds for reducing financing guarantee fees for small and micro enterprises and the autonomous region’s special funds for SME development. Through fee subsidies and business incentives, encourage financing guarantee institutions to reduce guarantee rates for small and micro enterprises to 1% or lower. Improve and implement the risk compensation mechanism for financing guarantee institutions serving small and micro enterprises to enhance their capacity to directly serve these enterprises.For eligible small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises and individual business operators in the transportation, catering, accommodation, and tourism sectors, encourage government-backed financing guarantee institutions to provide financing guarantee support, urge financial institutions to disburse loans as soon as possible, and include the aforementioned eligible financing guarantee business within the scope of re-guarantee cooperation with autonomous region government-backed guarantee institutions. Encourage eligible localities to provide temporary subsidies for guarantee premiums related to support for small businesses and agriculture. Allow qualified and willing commercial insurance companies to operate short-term insurance business.
5. Strengthen government procurement support for small and medium-sized enterprises. For goods and services valued at less than 2 million yuan and construction projects valued at less than 4 million yuan, all contracts suitable for small and micro enterprises shall be exclusively procured from such enterprises. For goods and services valued at 2 million yuan or more and construction projects valued at 4 million yuan or more, the quota reserved for small and micro enterprises shall be increased from 30% to 40% or higher.The price deduction ratio for micro and small enterprises will be increased from 6%–10% to 10%–20%. Specifically, for government procurement projects subject to the Bidding Law, the price deduction ratio will be raised from 3%–5% to 6%–10%.
6. Expand the implementation of social insurance premium deferral policies. Provided that all social insurance benefits are paid in full and on time, all SMEs and micro-enterprises, as well as self-employed individuals participating in social insurance through their businesses, that face temporary operational difficulties due to the pandemic may temporarily defer payment of the employer’s portion of three social insurance premiums—pension, unemployment, and work-related injury insurance—until the end of 2022.For self-employed individuals and various types of flexible workers participating in the basic old-age insurance for enterprise employees as individuals, they may voluntarily defer the payment of old-age insurance premiums in 2022.Building upon the policy of temporarily deferring the payment of the three social insurance premiums for five severely affected industries—including catering, retail, tourism, civil aviation, and road, waterway, and rail transportation—the scope of implementation will be further expanded. The deferral will be extended to 17 severely affected industries that have been severely impacted by the pandemic, where enterprises within the sector are facing widespread operational difficulties, and which align with national industrial policy guidelines. The deferral period for pension insurance premiums will be extended to the end of 2022, and no late payment penalties will be imposed during the deferral period.
II. Policy Measures for Financial Support to the Real Economy and Major Projects (6 items)
7. Encourage the deferral of principal and interest payments for loans to small, medium, and micro enterprises, individual business operators, and truck drivers, as well as for personal housing and consumer loans affected by the pandemic.In accordance with relevant regulations, commercial banks and other financial institutions are supported in implementing deferrals of principal and interest payments within the year for loans to small, medium, and micro enterprises, individual business operators, truck loans, and personal housing and consumer loans facing temporary difficulties. For individuals hospitalized or quarantined due to COVID-19 infection, those under quarantine observation for epidemic prevention and control purposes but not hospitalized, and personnel involved in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control efforts who are unable to make timely repayments during the epidemic period due to the pandemic’s impact, overdue credit transactions will not be recorded as delinquencies.
8. Strengthen support for inclusive micro and small business loans. Further leverage the role of the Inclusive Micro and Small Business Loan Support Tool. The proportion of incentive funds provided to local legal entity financial institutions for the incremental balance of inclusive micro and small business loans will be increased from 1% to 2% to encourage financial institutions to stabilize the existing stock of such loans and expand new lending.In accordance with market principles, support should be provided through measures such as loan extensions or renewals to help distressed enterprises withstand the impact of the pandemic; financial institutions must not blindly restrict, withdraw, or terminate loans. By utilizing tools such as agricultural re-lending and SME re-lending, local legal-person financial institutions should be encouraged and supported to increase credit support for agriculture-related enterprises and SMEs—particularly inclusive SMEs—with priority given to enterprises temporarily facing difficulties due to the pandemic.
9. Continue to promote a steady decline in actual loan interest rates. Continuously leverage the benefits of the reform of the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) formation mechanism and fully utilize the role of the Xinjiang Market Interest Rate Pricing Self-Discipline Mechanism to transmit the effects of lower deposit rates to the lending side, thereby promoting a steady decline in actual loan interest rates.
10. Improve the efficiency of capital market financing. Continue to support and encourage financial institutions to issue financial bonds, fully utilize national “green channel” policies for financial bonds targeting agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; small and micro enterprises; green finance; and mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and provide financing support to enterprises in key sectors. Guide financial institutions to support financing for small, medium, and micro enterprises through measures such as accounts receivable pledging, guide core enterprises to assist upstream and downstream enterprises in conducting supply chain financing, and actively provide rediscount support.In accordance with national policy requirements, transaction fees for bond financing by private enterprises should be waived wherever possible, further signaling support for the private sector.
11. Increase financial institutions’ support for infrastructure construction and major projects. Support policy-based and development banks in optimizing their loan structures to disburse more loans with longer maturities; guide commercial banks to further increase loan disbursements and extend loan terms; and encourage insurance companies and other entities to leverage their advantages in long-term capital to increase support for infrastructure construction and major projects in sectors such as water conservancy, highways, and logistics.
12. Comprehensively advance the improvement of quality and efficiency in financial, foreign exchange, and cross-border RMB services. Ensure the smooth transmission of foreign exchange facilitation policies; continue to promote the facilitation of cross-border trade, investment, and financing; further optimize exchange rate hedging services for enterprises; enhance the professional capabilities and service standards of banking operations; foster a standardized, convenient, and dynamic foreign exchange market environment; improve cross-border RMB infrastructure; expand policy coverage; and ensure the orderly conduct of foreign trade and economic activities.
III. Policy Measures to Expand Investment (5 items)
13. Accelerate the construction of a batch of water conservancy projects. Commence construction on a batch of water conservancy projects that have been included in the planning and are ready for implementation. Accelerate the construction of major water diversion and transfer projects as well as large, medium, and small-scale reservoir projects. Continue to support the construction of projects such as the continuation and modernization of large-scale irrigation districts, the management of small and medium-sized rivers, and the reinforcement of large and medium-sized reservoirs (and sluice gates) at risk of failure.
14. Accelerate investment in transportation infrastructure. For major transportation infrastructure projects included in the national and autonomous region “14th Five-Year” plans, expedite their launch and implementation to ensure that all projects that should be started are started and all that can be started are started.Launch a new round of rural road construction and renovation, with a total of 6,000 kilometers of new and renovated roads. This includes connecting 7 additional townships to Grade III or higher roads, providing access to paved roads for 100 additional natural villages, renovating 140 unsafe bridges, and improving safety measures along 5,000 kilometers of village roads. Guide localities to begin preliminary work on proposed new projects in advance.
15. Continue to advance the construction of urban underground utility tunnels in a manner suited to local conditions. Guide localities to coordinate the construction of utility tunnels with urban underground municipal infrastructure construction and renovation projects; in new urban districts, actively develop trunk and branch utility tunnels based on functional needs, rationally layout the utility tunnel system, and coordinate the laying of various utility lines. Accelerate the clarification of fees for tunnel access, adopt multiple measures to resolve obstacles to investment and financing, and promote the implementation of a batch of underground utility tunnel projects that meet the necessary conditions.
16. Encourage the expansion of private investment. Make full use of the long-term mechanism for promoting key sector projects to private capital, and encourage and attract more social capital to participate in the construction of major engineering projects in the autonomous region. Give preferential treatment to consortia of large, medium, and small enterprises in bidding for supply chain and industrial chain projects, and encourage private enterprises to fully leverage their strengths to participate in key R&D efforts. Promote public-private partnerships (PPPs) in a standardized and orderly manner, with a focus on transportation, water conservancy, and urban infrastructure, and encourage private investment to participate in key sector projects through comprehensive development models.
17. Strengthen the supply of key resources for investment projects. Implement the autonomous region’s joint conference system for major projects to promptly resolve difficulties encountered during project advancement. Strengthen supporting policies regarding land use, energy consumption, and environmental protection to accelerate the formation of a coordinated effort to advance key projects.Strengthen financing coordination among government, banks, and enterprises; leverage the role of the investment and financing mechanism for project promotion, investment stimulation, and growth stabilization; actively encourage financial institutions to participate in project financing; and effectively address project funding needs. Strengthen energy supply guarantees for enterprises; fully ensure the energy needs of new projects whose energy intensity is lower than the average of their local prefecture (state, city) and industry; during the energy conservation review stage, ensure that energy used for raw materials is excluded from total energy consumption controls;Make full use of the policy exempting new renewable energy from total energy consumption quotas; guide new projects to utilize renewable energy to the greatest extent possible to reduce fossil fuel consumption; support existing projects across all regions in implementing green electricity substitution for energy use, and prioritize the use of freed-up fossil fuel quotas to meet the energy needs of new local projects.In accordance with the principle of “immediate processing for projects with complete documentation, expedited processing for projects with supplementary materials, and proactive facilitation for projects requiring special arrangements,” accelerate preliminary work in all aspects—including project approval, site selection, land use, environmental impact assessment, and energy efficiency assessment—to increase project commencement rates, investment completion rates, and the conversion rate of reserve projects, ensuring that fixed-asset investment grows by more than 10% this year.
IV. Policy Measures to Promote Consumption (4 items)
18. Accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry. Encourage paid scenic spots across the region to implement preferential policies such as ticket discounts or waivers based on time slots and visitor groups, and attract tourists by organizing various themed festivals and events. Encourage prefectures and cities to launch distinctive online and offline consumption products—such as premium rural tourism routes or “day-trip” package deals—tailored to local conditions. Guide parks, scenic spots, and cultural and museum venues to improve facilities and service conditions and extend operating hours.While strictly implementing routine epidemic prevention and control measures, improve the efficiency of travel services, advocate for “Xinjiang residents exploring Xinjiang,” and encourage cross-district travel between prefectures (prefectures, cities) within the region that have no community-based local outbreaks. Primary and secondary school students traveling across districts are exempt from reporting requirements. Localities must not impose additional restrictions at various levels, nor may they simply use the pandemic as an excuse to restrict travel or artificially create obstacles to cross-district travel.Resume interprovincial group tours, leverage the advantages of the Xinjiang Aid Program, and encourage localities to introduce incentive policies to attract visitors to Xinjiang. Encourage the various Xinjiang Aid Front Command Posts to organize “Tourists to Xinjiang” campaigns to attract tourists from outside Xinjiang to visit and spend in the region. Continue implementing the policy for the temporary refund of tourism service quality deposits; eligible travel agencies may apply to increase the refund rate from 80% to 100%.travel agencies that obtained their travel agency business operation licenses after April 12, 2020, may apply for a deferral of the deposit payment. The deadline for both the temporary refund and the deferral of the deposit has been extended to December 31, 2023 (deposits paid through bank guarantees or insurance, as well as those frozen by the courts, are not included in the scope of the temporary refund or deferral).
19. Promote the healthy development of the real estate sector. Implement city-specific policies tailored to local conditions, coordinate the advancement of housing construction in urban areas, and strengthen policy coordination across finance, land, taxation, and market regulation to promote rational housing consumption. Optimize the supply of land for affordable housing: moderately increase land supply where the inventory turnover period for commercial housing is within 18 months, and moderately reduce land supply where it exceeds 18 months;Reasonably determine the minimum ratio for land auction deposits; after the initial installment of land transfer fees is paid, the remainder may be paid in installments within one year. Implement differentiated housing credit policies to support basic and improvement-oriented housing needs; for resident households taking out loans to purchase ordinary owner-occupied housing, the lower limit for commercial personal housing loan interest rates on first-home purchases shall be adjusted to no less than the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) for the corresponding term minus 20 basis points. Encourage and guide financial institutions to independently lower loan interest rates and accelerate the approval and disbursement of personal housing loans.Increase credit support for eligible real estate enterprises and projects, particularly by distinguishing between project risks and corporate group risks, and strengthening support for high-quality projects. Avoid blindly withdrawing, suspending, or reducing loans, and refrain from a “one-size-fits-all” approach, ensuring the steady and orderly disbursement of real estate development loans. Optimize tax administration for second-hand home transactions; taxpayers shall declare personal income tax in accordance with the law at a rate of 1% of the transaction price or 20% of the price difference. Tax authorities shall implement the principle of convenience for the public and provide effective tax services.Optimize the supervision of pre-sale funds for commercial housing, adjust tendencies toward excessive tightening, and support localities in implementing differentiated supervision of pre-sale funds, with the option to appropriately lower the required supervision ratio. Increase the loan limits for housing provident fund loans, reduce the down payment ratio for second-hand housing provident fund loans to 20%, and further shorten the approval and disbursement timelines for such loans.
20. Steadily increase consumption of major goods such as automobiles and home appliances. Organize automobile exhibitions and sales events, strengthen government-enterprise collaboration, and work with automobile dealers, petroleum product operators, automobile manufacturers, and insurance companies to jointly promote automobile consumption. Encourage eligible regions to launch “automobiles to the countryside” initiatives to boost automobile consumption in rural areas.Completely abolish restrictions on the inter-provincial transfer of used cars, work to optimize or eliminate unreasonable documentation requirements for used car purchases, implement the national policy for “inter-provincial processing” of small non-commercial used cars, promote the open sharing of used car information, facilitate used car transactions, and optimize the used car trading environment. Support regions with automobile import ports in developing parallel import businesses and improve the system for disclosing environmental information on parallel-imported vehicles. Implement refined management of pickup truck access to urban areas and further relax restrictions on their entry into cities.Optimize the investment, construction, and operation models for new energy vehicle charging piles (stations), advance the construction of charging infrastructure in areas such as highway service areas and passenger transport hubs, and accelerate the expansion of charging facility coverage in residential communities and commercial parking lots. Support home appliance retailers in issuing consumption vouchers and public welfare subsidies, and organize activities such as home appliance trade-ins, the promotion of green and smart home appliances in rural areas, and subsidies for furniture and home renovation. Encourage home appliance manufacturers to implement target-based recycling responsibility systems.Vigorously promote e-commerce consumption. Encourage localities to widely organize integrated live-streaming sales activities combining “county-level events, live-streamed product promotions, and influencer incubation and training” to foster the integrated development of online and offline consumption. Host the “3rd Xinjiang Live-Streaming E-commerce Festival” and select the second batch of autonomous region-level digital commerce demonstration enterprises.
21. Accelerate the construction of urban and rural logistics and distribution systems. Advance the construction of comprehensive logistics and distribution centers in counties, cities, and townships, and improve the layout of rural last-mile delivery facilities. Encourage and guide commercial enterprises such as large shopping complexes, supermarkets, and convenience stores to develop into chain operations and build their brands, expanding their reach to prefectures, counties, and cities.Implement projects to build agricultural product supply chains, allocate 2022 central government funds for these projects, and support 49 agricultural product distribution enterprises in accelerating the development of cold-chain logistics, improving retail outlets, and strengthening distribution facilities at production sites, thereby reinforcing long-term mechanisms for connecting production and sales.
V. Policy Measures to Stabilize Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (4 items)
22. Assist foreign trade enterprises in overcoming difficulties. Establish a “whitelist” system for key foreign trade enterprises, create a liaison and service mechanism at the prefectural and regional levels, open green channels for imports and exports, guide enterprises in selecting applicable customs clearance facilitation measures, coordinate solutions to enterprises’ difficulties and requests, and ensure the stability of the foreign trade supply chain. Actively take measures to facilitate the prompt entry of empty containers and empty trailer units that have been stranded abroad for extended periods, thereby alleviating enterprises’ difficulties in securing containers.
23. Continuously improve import and export customs clearance efficiency. Strengthen port openness and enhance the convenience of import and export cargo handling. Further optimize regulatory processes, sustain the achievements in reducing customs clearance times, implement the “release first, inspect later” policy for low-risk imported mineral products and crude oil, and continue to shorten the time required for inspection and testing of imported goods. Support the expansion of imports of bulk commodities such as coal, oil and gas, minerals, and grain, and expedite customs clearance for goods urgently needed by enterprises.Encourage enterprises to engage in “Rail Express” services, advance the implementation of “Customs-Railway Connectivity” cooperation, and increase the capacity of cross-border freight trains. Establish a green channel for on-site inspection of fresh and perishable agricultural and food products for import and export, implementing priority inspection and “5+2” appointment-based inspection. Optimize quarantine and inspection procedures for animals, plants, and their products entering and exiting through border residents’ markets, and reduce the processing time for quarantine permits for the introduction of high-quality germplasm resources and for the filing of export food production enterprises.
24. Support the accelerated development of cross-border e-commerce. Accelerate the construction of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in Urumqi, Alashankou, and Kashgar; support enterprises in innovating new foreign trade formats and models such as overseas warehouses; and establish regular cross-border e-commerce freight train services. Support comprehensive bonded zones in conducting cross-border e-commerce operations via the China-Europe freight trains and TIR (Tir) procedures; innovatively promote “zone-port linkage” to achieve “single declaration, single inspection, and single release” for export goods.Support postal and express delivery companies in establishing temporary postal routes to ensure domestic and international mail service needs are met. Support the conduct of cross-border e-commerce export operations within comprehensive bonded zones, implement “24-hour appointment-based customs clearance,” and support the transport of mail via the China-Europe Railway Express.
25. Support the development of export-oriented economies. Fully leverage the "Catalog of Encouraged Industries in the Western Regions" and the series of national support policies granted to our region—such as those supporting the development of the Kashgar and Khorgos Economic Development Zones—to adhere to an integrated approach to attracting both domestic and foreign investment and promote industrial clustering. Successfully host the 7th China-Eurasia Expo.Strengthen the development of National Foreign Trade Transformation Bases and National Processing Trade Industrial Parks, and advance the implementation of the market procurement trade pilot program. Support the expansion of exports of locally produced agricultural products in Xinjiang, support the development of Xinjiang’s seed industry for off-site breeding, and encourage increased imports of forage and feed.
VI. Policy Measures to Ensure Food and Energy Security (4 items)
26. Ensure the supply of grain and key agricultural products. Implement the mechanism to safeguard farmers’ income from grain production, and make full use of subsidies for the protection of arable land fertility and one-time subsidies for grain-growing farmers; building on the agricultural input subsidies already distributed earlier, promptly disburse the second batch of national agricultural input subsidies to offset the decline in grain production income caused by rising input prices, thereby incentivizing and protecting farmers’ enthusiasm for grain production, and ensuring a bountiful summer grain harvest with every grain brought in.Support the construction of 4.35 million mu of high-standard farmland across the region. Organize and implement pilot programs for subsidies on the purchase and use of agricultural machinery, and intensify the implementation of subsidies for the scrapping of agricultural machinery to ensure that the coverage rate of counties (cities, districts) implementing subsidies for the scrapping and replacement of agricultural machinery reaches 90% across the region.
27. Enhance coal supply capacity. Accelerate the construction of coal mine projects, with a focus on advancing the progress of ongoing projects to ensure they are completed and put into operation as soon as possible, thereby increasing coal supply. Expedite the procedures for increasing the production capacity of coal mines designated for supply security, and release advanced, high-quality production capacity in accordance with laws and regulations. Accelerate the processing of pre-construction procedures, such as project approval for coal mine projects under the 14th Five-Year Plan, to facilitate the prompt national approval of these projects.Accelerate the processing of preliminary procedures for coal mine projects under the 14th Five-Year Plan, both for construction and reserve projects, and strive to submit coal mine projects that comply with the overall mining area plan and environmental impact assessment for national approval by the end of July. Fully tap into potential for increased transportation and enhance the capacity of the Xinjiang Coal Railway for outbound transport. Strengthen the seamless integration of coal production, transportation, and demand to improve the capacity for safe and stable coal supply. Research and formulate relevant policies to keep medium- and long-term transaction prices at the coal mine exit point within a reasonable range.
28. Enhance electricity supply capacity. Conduct a competitive selection process for investment entities for the supporting power sources of the third “Xinjiang Power Transmission” corridor; formulate implementation plans for the construction of these supporting power sources; actively advance the construction of both transmission corridor supporting power sources and domestic backup power sources; accelerate the preliminary work for power generation projects to ensure construction begins as soon as possible. Following the principle of “constructing a batch, reserving a batch, and planning a batch,” vigorously promote the acceleration of preliminary and construction progress for already planned new energy projects, and expedite the construction of new energy bases.Accelerate the upgrading and retrofitting of coal-fired power units. Speed up the construction of pumped-storage power stations and advance the preliminary work for sites included in the national medium- and long-term pumped-storage plan, striving to complete the competitive selection of investment entities for key “14th Five-Year Plan” implementation projects within the year.Urge State Grid Corporation of China to accelerate the preliminary work for the third transmission line of the “Xinjiang Power Export” project, striving for early approval and commencement of construction. Deepen market-oriented reforms of grid-connected electricity prices for coal-fired power generation and improve the pricing mechanism to promote the development of new energy.
29. Intensify oil and gas exploration, development, and infrastructure construction. Advance the exploration and development of large-scale oil and gas fields as well as unconventional oil and gas resources to effectively safeguard national energy supply security. Accelerate preliminary work on natural gas pipeline construction in regions such as Tacheng and Altay. Expedite the construction of gas storage facilities and infrastructure to rapidly establish gas storage and peak-shaving capacity. Organize the signing of natural gas supply contracts, strengthen emergency peak-shaving measures and scientific dispatch, and ensure a stable supply of natural gas throughout the region.
VII. Policy Measures to Ensure the Stability of Industrial and Supply Chains (8 items)
30. Reduce costs for market entities, including water, electricity, internet, and rent. Fully implement the policy of “no service interruption for overdue payments” regarding water, electricity, and gas for micro and small enterprises and individual businesses facing temporary operational difficulties due to the pandemic. Establish a six-month deferral period for payment, which may be further extended based on local conditions, and waive late payment penalties during the deferral period.Streamline and standardize charges in urban water, electricity, gas, and heating sectors; eliminate unreasonable fees; regulate government-set prices and operators’ pricing practices; and implement list-based management for retained fee items. In the bidding sector, fully promote the use of performance bonds (or insurance) to replace cash deposits for bid, performance, and construction quality guarantees; encourage tenderers to exempt small, micro, and medium-sized enterprise bidders from bid bonds.Implement the policy to further reduce average broadband and dedicated line rates for small, medium, and micro enterprises by 10% in 2022. For small and micro enterprises in the service sector and individual business operators leasing premises from state-owned enterprises within county-level administrative regions designated as medium- or high-risk areas for the pandemic in 2022, rent for six months of that year will be waived; in other regions, rent for three months will be waived. Implement a policy to waive rent for small and micro enterprises and individual business operators in highway service areas.
31. Stabilize electricity prices for SMEs and micro-enterprises as well as individual business operators. For industrial and commercial users with voltages below 1,000 volts, the original tariff levels in the price catalog will remain unchanged in 2022.Local (prefectural, municipal) people’s governments (administrative offices) with the capacity are encouraged to provide phased fiscal subsidies for electricity costs of small, medium, and micro enterprises based on local conditions. Implement preferential electricity pricing policies for new energy vehicle charging piles (stations). For centralized charging (and battery-swapping) facilities that apply directly for electricity connection, the basic electricity fee will be waived until the end of 2025.
32. Intensify efforts to clear overdue payments owed to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thoroughly organize and carry out the special campaign to prevent and resolve overdue payments to SMEs, further implement the "Regulations on the Payment of Amounts Owed to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," comprehensively investigate overdue payments owed to SMEs by government agencies, public institutions, and large enterprises, continuously maintain open channels for reporting and filing complaints regarding overdue payments, effectively verify and supervise the handling of reported issues, ensure that all undisputed overdue payments reported by SMEs are fully settled,for debts where repayment is genuinely difficult, establish a repayment plan by the end of June; and for disputed debts, accelerate resolution through mediation, negotiation, and judicial channels. Strictly implement the "Regulations on Government Investment" to prevent the formation of "triangular debt" caused by layered arrears at the source, and absolutely prohibit the government from creating new arrears owed to small and medium-sized enterprises and private enterprises.
33. Increase relief and support for enterprises in sectors heavily impacted by the pandemic, such as civil aviation. Fully implement the national policy measures for phased fiscal subsidies for domestic passenger flight operations, make effective use of national civil aviation emergency loans and civil aviation development bonds, strive to alleviate working capital pressures on civil aviation enterprises, and support struggling airlines in overcoming difficulties. Coordinate flight subsidy funds from both the central government and the autonomous region to support increased frequencies of domestic feeder flights and stabilize the domestic trunk and feeder air passenger markets.Encourage and support airlines in operating international passenger charter flights and in the orderly resumption of international scheduled passenger flights. Encourage and support airlines and aviation logistics enterprises in expanding international cargo charter flights and international “passenger-to-cargo” conversion flights, innovate aviation logistics development models, improve the scientific level of airport management, and maintain the smooth flow of international aviation logistics. Encourage banks to extend loans to enterprises in other sectors heavily impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing, cultural tourism, and food and lodging.
34. Improve policies to ensure the smooth flow of transportation and logistics. It is strictly prohibited to arbitrarily block or close expressways, ordinary roads, and highway service areas, and to erect physical barriers on county, township, and village roads. Except for entry points into Xinjiang, all epidemic prevention checkpoints on expressway mainlines and in service areas must be resolutely abolished, and all epidemic-related travel restrictions on freight vehicles from low-risk areas must be fully lifted.All unreasonable height restrictions must be abolished. While resolutely blocking transmission routes of the virus, ensure the continuity of the transportation network. For freight vehicles originating from or entering/exiting cities located in medium- or high-risk areas, implement the “test, proceed, and track” system. Passenger and freight drivers undergoing nucleic acid testing in other regions shall be entitled to the same free testing policy, and nucleic acid test results shall be recognized nationwide.
35. Make effective use of funds from the central government and the autonomous region to support the development of the textile and apparel industry. Stabilize the supply of cotton as a strategic national resource, adjust and optimize subsidy policies for cotton exported from the region, better accommodate textile production capacity from the eastern regions, and promote job stability and full production capacity in the textile industry.
36. Support the healthy development of competitive industries such as photovoltaic silicon-based materials and tomato processing. Support and encourage relevant enterprises to expand into international markets and increase domestic sales. Implement a “tailored approach for each enterprise” to help resolve operational challenges, and promote the sustained and healthy development of industries including photovoltaic silicon-based materials, tomato processing, cotton, and textiles and apparel.
37. Strengthen monitoring of enterprise operations and coordination services. Establish and improve the “whitelist” of enterprises in the autonomous region’s key industrial and supply chains, conduct operational monitoring and provide coordination services for enterprises on the “whitelist,” and actively coordinate to resolve issues related to logistics, transportation, and sourcing of goods. Remove bottlenecks and obstacles affecting the stability of key industrial and supply chains, prioritize the supply of critical materials for key sectors such as epidemic prevention and medical supplies, food, agricultural supplies, and strategic emerging industries, and ensure the stability and smooth operation of key industrial and supply chains.
VIII. Policy Measures to Safeguard Basic Livelihoods (7 items)
38. Increase support for job retention. For insured enterprises that do not lay off or lay off few employees, optimize the unemployment insurance job retention subsidy policy and further increase the reimbursement rate, raising the reimbursement rate for large enterprises from 30% to 50%. Expand the scope of beneficiaries for the one-time unemployment insurance retention subsidy,From January 1 to December 31, 2022, in prefectures (prefectural-level cities), counties (county-level cities, and districts) affected by the pandemic, a one-time retention and training subsidy of 500 yuan per insured employee will be provided to small, medium, and micro enterprises that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have been unable to conduct normal production and operations for more than seven days. The scope of this subsidy will be expanded to include all insured enterprises severely affected by the pandemic that are temporarily unable to conduct normal production and operations, with the required funds drawn from the autonomous region’s unemployment insurance fund.
39. Promoting Employment for College (and Vocational School) Graduates.Small, medium, and micro enterprises registered within the administrative region of the Autonomous Region that hire college graduates in their graduation year in 2022, sign labor contracts of one year or longer, pay social insurance premiums in accordance with the law, and ensure stable employment for at least six months shall receive a one-time subsidy of 1,000 yuan per person from the local government where the enterprise is located. This policy shall remain in effect until the end of 2022, and the additional expenditures shall be covered by employment funds allocated by fiscal authorities at all levels in 2022.From January 1 to December 31, 2022, enterprises that newly hire college graduates in their graduation year, sign labor contracts with them, and enroll them in unemployment insurance will receive a one-time job expansion subsidy of 1,500 yuan per person from the unemployment insurance fund. This policy cannot be claimed concurrently with the one-time employment recruitment subsidy.Commercial human resources service agencies are encouraged to collaborate with district-affiliated universities to organize in-person recruitment events. Subsidies will be provided as follows: 100,000 yuan for large-scale events (with at least 300 participating employers), 50,000 yuan for medium-scale events (at least 150 employers), and 30,000 yuan for small-scale events (at least 80 employers). The required funds will be included in the employment service subsidy scope for district-affiliated universities. Universities may independently arrange recruitment events as needed, with a maximum of two subsidized events per year.For recent graduates of district-affiliated general high schools and other schools (including technical schools) who are willing to work and actively seeking employment—including graduates from urban and rural low-income households, graduates with physical disabilities, graduates who have received national student loans or local student loans, graduates from registered poverty-alleviation households, graduates from families with disabled members, and graduates from families receiving special assistance for the destitute—the school’s location shall provide a one-time job-seeking and entrepreneurship subsidy of 1,000 yuan per person from the employment subsidy fund.All unemployed graduates of regular higher education institutions within two years of graduation and unemployed youth aged 16 to 24 from Xinjiang shall be included in employment internship preparation activities. During the internship period, a monthly internship subsidy equal to 100% of the local minimum wage shall be provided, and the host organization shall provide an additional position subsidy equal to 50% of the local minimum wage.The internship period shall not exceed 12 months. For interns whose internships are temporarily interrupted due to the pandemic, the internship period and the duration of internship subsidies may be extended. If an internship unit retains an intern early and signs a labor contract of two years or more, the remaining internship subsidies may be disbursed monthly to the internship unit.
40. Employment and entrepreneurship service agencies are encouraged and supported to play an active role. Entrepreneurship incubation bases shall allocate 30% of their space to be provided free of charge to college graduates within their job-seeking period, registered unemployed persons, migrant workers, veterans, individuals who have been lifted out of poverty, and those facing employment difficulties;Operators of startup incubation bases in areas significantly affected by the pandemic shall provide low-rent or rent-free, low-fee or fee-free premises necessary for business operations to resident startups and individual entrepreneurs, and shall provide relevant follow-up startup services free of charge; localities may provide support to these operators from startup guidance subsidy funds. Relying fully on the market, support shall be provided through government procurement of services to encourage for-profit human resources service agencies and labor brokers to actively participate in recruitment for employers.In 2022, for each instance where a for-profit human resources service agency or labor broker successfully refers a laborer who has escaped poverty to an employer outside their home county or city—resulting in the signing of a labor contract or service agreement and continuous employment for six months or more—a one-time employment and entrepreneurship service subsidy of 50–150 yuan per person will be granted to the agency or broker. This subsidy is limited to one per person per year and cannot be claimed in conjunction with the autonomous region’s “reward-in-lieu-of-subsidy” funds for rural labor.
41. Support employment for groups facing employment difficulties, such as those who have escaped poverty. Provide “one-on-one” employment assistance to unemployed monitored individuals with the ability and willingness to work (households at risk of relapsing into poverty, households at risk of falling into poverty, and households facing sudden severe difficulties). For employers that hire monitored individuals and maintain their employment for six consecutive months or longer in 2022, the local government where the employer is located shall provide a one-time employment absorption subsidy of 1,000 yuan per person.Enterprises that have achieved significant results in employing key groups such as those who have escaped poverty and monitored individuals will be granted a one-time incentive subsidy of 500 yuan per person. This subsidy cannot be claimed in conjunction with the one-time employment absorption subsidy provided to employers.For former poverty-stricken workers and individuals under monitoring who have returned to or remain in their rural hometowns and are unable to seek employment outside the area due to the pandemic, temporary rural public welfare positions may be created to provide transitional employment. The duration of such positions shall not exceed six months, and during this period, a position subsidy will be provided in accordance with local standards for rural public welfare positions.Enterprises that hire workers from designated labor cooperation partner regions shall be eligible for loans from the Xinjiang Branch of the China Development Bank, provided they meet the following criteria: micro-enterprises must hire at least 5 people, small enterprises at least 10, medium-sized enterprises at least 20, and large enterprises at least 40; or, for small, medium, and micro-enterprises, the proportion of such workers must be no less than 15%, and for large enterprises, no less than 10%. These enterprises will also receive support in the form of preferential loan interest rates.
42. Strengthen unemployment protection, minimum living allowance, and assistance for vulnerable groups. Diligently implement policy measures introduced by the autonomous region since 2022 regarding adjustments to unemployment insurance benefit standards and increases in basic living assistance standards for vulnerable groups. The monthly unemployment insurance benefit received by unemployed individuals in 2022 will be increased by 207 yuan per person on top of the current amount; urban and rural minimum living allowance standards will be raised to no less than 616 yuan per month and 5,290 yuan per year, respectively;raise the basic living standard for individuals in extreme poverty to a maximum of 1,035 yuan per month, and the basic living standard for orphans to 1,610 yuan per month. Provide basic living assistance, special social assistance, or emergency social assistance to eligible unemployed individuals facing hardship, ensuring that all qualified individuals are included in the assistance coverage to effectively safeguard the basic livelihood of the unemployed. For unemployed individuals facing hardship who have secured stable employment and truthfully reported their labor income, their household’s minimum living allowance benefits shall remain unchanged for 12 months starting from the month of employment.Timely and full disbursement of 2022 central and autonomous region fiscal funds for assistance to disadvantaged groups will be made to those in need. Eligible college graduates will be promptly included in the scope of social assistance programs, such as temporary assistance.Activate the linkage mechanism between social assistance and security standards and price increases as appropriate. When the month-on-month year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reaches 3.5% or the month-on-month year-over-year increase in the food price index within the CPI reaches 6%, the linkage mechanism shall be activated at the prefecture (autonomous prefecture, city) level, and the minimum standard for temporary price subsidies shall be uniformly raised to 20 yuan per person per month. Orphans, children effectively without parental care, and children infected with HIV shall be included as beneficiaries under the price subsidy linkage mechanism.
43. Implement phased support policies for housing provident funds. Until December 31, 2022, a phased deferral policy for housing provident fund contributions will be implemented for enterprises affected by the pandemic. Affected enterprises may apply for deferral of housing provident fund contributions in accordance with regulations and make up the payments upon expiration. During this period, employees’ normal withdrawals and applications for housing provident fund loans will not be affected by the deferral.For contributors affected by the pandemic who are unable to make normal repayments on their housing provident fund loans, such loans will not be treated as overdue, no penalty interest will be charged, and they will not be included in credit records. Regions may appropriately increase the withdrawal limits for housing provident fund rental expenses based on local market rent levels to better meet actual needs.
44. Ensure the supply of coal for public welfare in Southern Xinjiang. Prioritize the allocation of railway transport capacity and make every effort to ensure railway transportation, guaranteeing an adequate and affordable supply of coal in Southern Xinjiang.
IX. Policy Measures for Efficiently Coordinating Epidemic Prevention and Control with Economic and Social Development (2 items)
45. Implement and refine epidemic prevention and control measures. In accordance with epidemic prevention and control requirements, continue to require individuals entering Xinjiang to complete declaration and QR code scanning procedures at checkpoints at railways, highways, and airports. Strictly verify negative nucleic acid test results, health codes, and travel codes for individuals entering or returning to Xinjiang, and implement on-arrival nucleic acid testing and other prevention and control measures to resolutely safeguard against the importation of the virus.Strengthen prevention and control measures at key locations such as border crossings, and rigorously conduct daily health monitoring and risk assessments at key sites including construction sites, enterprises, mines, logistics parks, parking lots for trucks entering the region, and areas where truck drivers congregate.
46. Conduct epidemic prevention and control work in a lawful, scientific, and precise manner. Adhere to a unified approach across the entire region and a single health code for access; resolutely avoid simplistic, one-size-fits-all, or excessively stringent prevention measures. Promote the safe, orderly, and unimpeded flow of people and goods to minimize the impact of the pandemic on economic and social development. Respond swiftly and efficiently to localized outbreaks and dynamically adjust the intensity of prevention measures.Actively guide localities to fulfill their territorial responsibilities. In the event of an outbreak, encourage eligible enterprises to adopt closed-loop production to ensure stable operations; in principle, production shutdowns should not be required. Local governments where enterprises are located must provide guidance on epidemic prevention and control, strengthen services such as employee return-to-work arrangements and logistics support, and minimize the impact of the pandemic on normal business operations. Strengthen supervision and inspection of epidemic prevention and control efforts across all regions and departments to ensure that scientific, precise, and dynamically adjusted measures are effectively implemented.
