China News Network Zhoushan, April 4 (Reporter Zhou Yulong) In recent years, a phenomenon is quite interesting: relatively hard resources, major cities pay more attention to creating a soft environment, hoping to optimize the business environment to better gather technology, talent and traffic . Indeed, the business environment is productivity, and the essence behind it is to build a well-regulated, open, and orderly market system.
In this national competition, the FTA, as an explorer, has high hopes. They shoulder the historical mission of "deepening the reform of the economic system, improving the efficiency of administrative examination and approval, and further integrating with the international market." Their innovation in the business environment is the vane of the times and will shape the future of economic development in other cities.
2020 is the third anniversary of the establishment of the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Over the past three years, the free trade zone has set an example in terms of business environment innovation and reform experience promotion. In this context, summing up the experience of the development of Zhejiang Free Trade Zone will promote another development of Chinese cities.
Photographed by Zhoushan Propaganda Department of Zhoushan Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone
Cargo Freedom: Ten Thousand Ships Call at Port to Start the Era of Navigation
In recent years, many companies have discovered that the hidden cost of customs clearance in the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone has been reduced. However, many people do not know that this is due to the local innovation launching a "single window" special edition of international trade. Taking a 300,000-ton oil tanker as an example, the economic benefit will increase by more than 80,000 US dollars in about 1 day. Often they can add $ 240,000 in "extra income."
However, without the country's first "single window" reform of international trade clearance of ships entering and exiting the country, there will be no scene of "Hong Kong ships welcoming 10,000 ships and shuttles". Before the establishment of the "single window" of international trade, the crew must submit more than 100 copies of documents to the windows of each unit. When the ship leaves the port, at least 9 service windows must be run.
Until 2017, Zhejiang Free Trade Zone became the pilot area for the "single window" standardized system of international trade. This means that, in the global competition, Zhejiang Free Trade Zone has greatly enhanced the port ’s port service soft power and international competitiveness.
This reform was quickly reflected in the efficiency of fuel supply. The captain of the Delta, ROGER, said that in the past 7 years, this ship has frequently entered and exited Zhoushan. Most of them used to refuel in Singapore. After refueling in Zhoushan, it was found that it was very convenient to refuel while unloading.
Improving oil supply efficiency is an important measure of Zhejiang Free Trade Zone since its establishment. Why is Singapore located in the Malacca Strait, the world's energy transportation throat, does not produce a drop of oil, but has become the Asian oil trading hub and oil product pricing center?
Some professionals predict that if the country provides strong support, then by optimizing settlement methods, perfecting system regulations, strengthening technical support and supporting guarantees, it will not be impossible for Zhoushan to become a bonded marine fuel oil supply center in Northeast Asia within 5 years.
Naturally, the favorable business environment has formed a strong attraction for capital. Local star hotels such as Nanyang and Fortune have been off-season in winter, and now business guests are often full.
Service Center Hall Photo by Zhou Yulong
Freedom of funds: Activate the benefits of RMB internationalization
On April 3, 2020, a message was uploaded from the press conference for the third anniversary of the listing of the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone. By creating a demonstration zone for the cross-border trade of RMB in commodities, the cross-border RMB settlement in the Pilot Free Trade Zone has now exceeded 170 billion. Yuan, the business covers 43 countries and regions.
It is not uncommon to use RMB to settle in the free trade zone, but in terms of oil trade, it is unimaginable to carry out cross-border RMB settlement. In the past, due to factors such as complex pricing of oil trade, bank procedures were relatively cumbersome, there were many audit documents, and the processing time was long. Special counters were also required. Now, the document has been reduced to one, eliminating the on-site endorsement link, and the processing time limit has been changed from 2 days to immediate processing.
Some people may have questions, what is the significance of cross-border RMB settlement of oil products trade? In fact, it can not only promote the innovation of systems and mechanisms in the field of financial management, but also facilitate the promotion of investment and trade liberalization of commodities with the entire oil and gas industry chain as the core, and attract a group of international oil and gas industry giants to seek cooperation.
It originated from opening the oil and gas market to domestic and foreign investors. Tuoke Group has been paying attention to the development of Zhejiang Free Trade Zone in recent years. Its chairman and CEO JeremyWeir once said that the basic framework built by Zhejiang Free Trade Zone is attracting investors from all over the world.
Obviously, the capital freedom that the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone is pushing for is making Zhoushan a hot spot for investment. Although there are no land reductions or tax exemptions here, the number of financial institution outlets has increased from 62 to 70, including 2 corporate banking institutions; foreign exchange business logo companies have increased from 337 to 881, an increase of 1.6 times.
Freedom of Entry and Exit for Personnel: Goal-Free Trade Port
Hong Kong, Singapore, Rotterdam, and Dubai are relatively typical free trade ports. Zhoushan also has similar conditions for building a free trade port. The state approved the "Zhejiang Zhoushan Islands New Area Development Plan" and other documents all mentioned the exploration and construction in Zhoushan. Free trade port area.
The free trade port is currently a special economic function zone with the highest level of openness in the world, anchoring the future goals. In addition to realizing the freedom of goods and funds, the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone is also exploring a high degree of freedom for people to enter and exit.
With the continuous advancement of the construction of the free trade zone, Zhoushan Port has reached an average of 10,000 foreign ships per year, and the number of transit seafarers who need to apply for visas has increased to an average of more than 100,000. Focusing on the reform of “running at most once”, the Free Trade Zone launched a series of convenient measures for serving foreign personnel to continuously improve the service environment of Zhoushan Port. At present, the "one window" processing time for foreigners' work permits and residence permits has been shortened from 25 days to 3 days, the processing time for the stay of the foreign crew's residence permit has been shortened from 7 days to 1 day, and the processing time for the registration and departure of foreign crew Knot.
At the same time, focusing on the construction of major projects in the free trade zone, it is necessary to introduce corresponding high-level talents. Zhoushan has specially introduced preferential policies. Foreign high-level talents can enjoy the convenience of relaxing the residence permit period to 5 years. Bai Zhengyi from Boeing said: "I didn't expect the extension of the C visa to be processed so quickly." Because the visa expired to apply for extension, the staff specially opened a green channel for him.
A number of institutional innovations have been replicated and promoted in the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone. For example, the time required for crew members to change visas has been reduced from 7 days to 12 hours. The first "Permanent Residence Permit for Foreign Talents" was issued. Establish a "port visa agency service mechanism" to open up liaison and agency channels with Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo International Airport port visa agencies.
However, Zhejiang Free Trade Zone is not satisfied with this, and is still actively exploring innovation in improving the business environment. According to the three-year plan of the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone, by 2020, strive to achieve 300 billion yuan in oil trade and 1 trillion yuan in trade. With the market-oriented, internationalized and rule-of-law business environment further improved, Zhejiang Free Trade Zone will become more "free" in the future. (Finish)