On August 29, the General Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province issued the Several Measures of Guangdong Province on Development and Expansion of Rural Business Entities (“the Measures”). As pointed out by the Measures, Guangdong will endeavour to develop and expand business entities in rural areas through multiple measures, including pilot implementation of domicile declaration promise system, encouragement of “one business license with more than one business addresses”, and promotion of “one thing at a time” when dealing with rural affairs.
Pilot implementation of domicile declaration promise system
In order to accelerate the development and expansion of rural business entities, make solid progress in the promotion of High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages, strengthen new impetus for agricultural and rural development, and advance the coordinated urban-rural development, Guangdong government put forward 31 measures in the light of local conditions.
In terms of enhancing the convenience of market access and business operations, it is pointed out in the Measures that, upon pilot implementation of domicile declaration promise system, business entities may submit domicile (business address) information, letter of commitment and other relevant documents either online or at physical service window, while the registration authority needs not to check their real estate ownership certificates (including property ownership certificates), lease contracts and some other documents. The purpose for that is to reasonably release and utilize field resources in rural areas.
In Guangdong, the government will further clarify members of specialized farmers’ cooperatives and their ways of investment. Residents who have moved to towns but still retain their right to contractual management of land, are encouraged to apply for setting up specialized farmers’ cooperatives, and they can use the certificate of right to contractual management of land or the identification paper issued by local villagers’ committee (or neighborhood committee) to prove they are farmers.
Besides, members of the specialized farmers’ cooperatives are propelled to make capital contributions in the form of non-monetary property that can be valued in money and transferred according to law, such as the right to contractual management of rural land and forestland, the ownership of forests and agricultural implements, the right to use sea areas and to use waters and mudflats for aquaculture, as well as the agronomic techniques.
For business entities that carry out business activities not at their domicile but in a place subject to jurisdiction of the same county-level registration authority, they are allowed to add on their business license the address of the newly established domicile (place of business), and exempted from registration of a branch. This is the so-called practice of “one business license with more than one business addresses”. In localities where necessary conditions are satisfied, business entities are encouraged to try implementing “one business license with more than one business addresses”.
The new working mode “one thing at a time” will be strongly promoted in rural areas in Guangdong. By expanding the scope of matters to be addressed, increasing new themes for rural business operation such as country inn, agritainment and agricultural sightseeing, and cutting down unnecessary steps, materials, time and legwork, the government is committed to, for the benefits of local enterprises and people, gradually achieving the working mode of getting one thing done at one place, one service window and one time.
Encouraging the development of new rural collective economy
Guangdong also encourages the development of new rural collective economy. Rural collective economic organizations may act as shareholders and set up companies to engage in business activities at their own expenses in accordance with the law. Rural collective economic organizations geographically adjacent, with correlated resources and in similar industries, are encouraged to cooperate with each other so as to promote joint development. In addition, guidance and support will be given to rural collective economic organizations so that they would like to cooperate with such business entities like enterprises and specialized farmers’ cooperatives for common development. All these efforts will be contributed to innovating the mode of cooperation among villages, enterprises and societies, establishing mixed ownership business entities, and promoting common development of small farmers.
E-commerce logistics problem is one of the bottlenecks in the development of rural industries. As pointed out in the Measures, we should accelerate efforts to promote the development of rural e-commerce. To be more specific, we should strongly promote digital commerce, and deliver agricultural products from rural areas to cities and towns by taking advantage of Internet +, and support direct online procurement and customized production of agricultural products. We should also support construction of live e-commerce bases for agricultural and sideline products, loose conditions for rural business entities’ access to e-commerce platforms, as well as service and technical training on digital operation.
As mentioned in the Measures, the pre-made food industry should be greatly advanced. A pre-made food standard system covering from farmland to dining table, should be established at a faster pace. Certain local standards for pre-made food may be first formulated and launched. A batch of representative pre-made food leading enterprises will be selected for trial implementation of pre-made food whole industry chain. Coordinated development of agricultural products, food and cuisine will be thus boosted.
Modern marine ranching is one of the key industries under support. Guangdong government will encourage enterprises to use such expressions like modern marine ranching or deepsea mariculture as their industrial identity, to make capital contributions in the form of non-monetary property, such as the right to use sea areas and to use waters and mudflats for aquaculture, as well as to engage in such industries like fish culture and proliferation, ecological restoration, recreation and sightseeing, biological conservation, and comprehensive marine ranching.
In terms of boosting high-quality development, Guangdong government will support transformation and upgrading of privately or individually-owned businesses into enterprises. We will actively explore more business types that are suitable for individual businesses to get upgraded into, including limited liability company, company limited by shares, individual proprietorship enterprise, and partnership. Those subject to transformation or upgrading may decide their own registered capital, bring in new investors, and continue to use their original trade name and retain industrial characteristics according to law.
Geographical indications are also conducive to effectively advancing the development of industries with rural characteristics. As proposed in the Measures, towns and villages are directed to explore products with geographical indications in local industries, apply for registering these indications as certification marks and/or collective marks, and enhance evaluation and counselling before application for register.
