During a news conference held on October 14th, the State Council Information Office of China shared insights on the government’s enhanced support for businesses. Luo Wen, the head of the State Administration for Market Regulation, revealed upcoming measures aimed at intensifying oversight and enforcement against illegal fees imposed on enterprises, which will help ease their financial burdens.
Luo emphasized that market regulation authorities are committed to halting the unlawful establishment of charging items. They will strengthen the review of policy documents related to fees imposed by government agencies, subordinate units, and industry associations, ensuring that any policies lacking legal foundations are promptly revised or abolished. Additionally, there will be increased scrutiny of financial institutions and utility providers such as water, electricity, and heating, with a firm crackdown on issues like duplicate and coercive charges. A comprehensive directory of enterprise-related fees will be published, outlining each fee’s basis and standards, reinforcing that any charges not listed in this directory are strictly prohibited.
Moreover, Luo announced that measures to penalize irregular charging practices will be intensified. This includes using a combination of market regulation, industry oversight, and credit management to discipline administrative agencies, public institutions, and social organizations, especially those with monopolistic advantages in specific sectors. Significant cases that draw community concern will be publicly exposed.
The market regulation authorities will also enhance the legal framework supporting fee oversight. Luo noted that they will seize the opportunity presented by the revision of price laws to clarify the legal requirements governing charges by state organs and institutions. Efforts are underway to establish new regulations regarding the handling of illegal fee practices, which will detail standards for identifying such misconduct and strengthen penalties. Furthermore, they aim to expedite the revision of enforcement guidelines across various industries, solidifying the legal foundation for fee regulation and improving compliance among social organizations through the implementation of the Compliance Guidelines for Charging Behaviors of Industry Associations.