Promote the high-quality development of national economic development zones (Rui Finance)
The Ministry of Commerce recently issued the "Measures for the Assessment and Evaluation of the Comprehensive Development Level of National Economic and Technological Development Zones (2021 Edition)" (referred to as the "Measures").
The Measures include 7 chapters and 30 articles, including general rules, indicator systems, working procedures, review requirements, application of results, dynamic management, and supplementary provisions, to further strengthen the positioning and orientation of the development of an open economy, and aim to guide national-level economic and technological development zones (abbreviated as “National Economic Development Zones”) play a greater role in stabilizing the fundamentals of foreign trade and foreign investment, and make greater contributions to the establishment of a new development pattern for services.
Focus on new development concepts
At a special press conference held by the Ministry of Commerce a few days ago, Zong Changqing, Director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce, introduced that the “Measures” focus on the development positioning of national-level economic development zones. Develop the concept, build a new development pattern, promote high-quality development orientation, and highlight the characteristics of the open platform of the national economic development zone.
The “opening to the outside world” first-level indicators include 7 second-level indicators such as the amount of foreign capital actually used, total import and export volume, and related proportions, growth rate, etc., with a weight of 30%. They mainly evaluate the utilization of foreign capital and foreign trade, and guide the national economy. The development zone vigorously develops an open economy.
The “Science and Technology Innovation” first-level indicators include six second-level indicators including the investment intensity of enterprise research and experimental development (R&D) funds, the number of R&D institutions at the provincial level and above, and the number of high-tech enterprises, with a weight of 15%, mainly evaluating technology platforms and scientific research In terms of capacity and other aspects, guide national-level economic development zones to enhance their scientific and technological innovation driving capacity and actively build a scientific and technological innovation platform.
The “green development” first-level indicators include five second-level indicators such as the growth rate of carbon dioxide emissions in the park, with a weight of 15%. They mainly evaluate energy consumption per unit of industrial added value, carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and solid waste utilization, and guide the country Green and low-carbon development in the economic development zone of the second-level, reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions.
Focus on nine areas
Statistics show that there are 230 state-level economic development zones across the country, covering 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), including 112 in the eastern region, 68 in the central region, and 50 in the western region.
"Compared with 2016, the GDP, total import and export volume, and the amount of foreign capital used in the national economic development zone in 2020 will increase by 40%, 36%, and 23% respectively. By the end of 2020, the national high-tech zone There are more than 30,000 enterprises, which is double the number in 2016.” Zong Changqing said, as an important open platform and industrial cluster, the national economic development zone contributes 1/10 of the country’s regional GDP and 1/5 of the country’s GDP. Industrial added value is the regional fulcrum of the domestic cycle; it contributes one-fifth of the use of foreign capital and import and export trade volume, and strongly connects the domestic and international markets.
In order to more effectively promote the development of national-level economic and technological development zones, the Ministry of Commerce has issued the "Notice on Further Promoting the Innovation and Improvement of National Economic and Technological Development Zones" while promulgating the Measures.
The notice starts from earnestly doing a good job in the assessment and evaluation of the comprehensive development level, strengthening the demonstration and leading role of stabilizing foreign trade and foreign investment, actively and orderly guiding green and low-carbon development, maintaining the stability of the industrial chain supply chain, increasing financial support, deepening the reform of the system and mechanism, and strengthening Nine aspects, including dynamic management of the development zone, strengthening of experience replication and promotion and publicity, and solid foundation work, have clarified the focus of the next step and put forward work requirements.
Dynamic management of advances and retreats
How to better stimulate the vitality of national economic development zones?
Zhu Bing, deputy director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the Ministry of Commerce will implement the relevant provisions of the Measures, insist on strict entry and strict exit, promote construction with promotion, and promote reform with regression, strengthen dynamic management, and encourage national economic development zones in my country’s economy. Play a greater role in social development.
In terms of upgrading, strictly control the standards and insist on quality first.
On the one hand, the provincial people’s government will organize the assessment of provincial development zones within its jurisdiction in accordance with the assessment indicators. Among the top provincial development zones, those with good economic foundation, great growth potential, and complete development plans will be submitted to the State Council. Submit an upgrade application; on the other hand, the Ministry of Commerce will organize a national centralized assessment ranking of the provincial development zones recommended by the provinces based on the assessment and evaluation methods, put forward a list of upgrade suggestions, and initiate the upgrade process in conjunction with relevant departments.
In terms of exit, stepped up downgrades and strengthened the reversal mechanism.
First, the last five of the national economic and technological development zones in the region (divided into eastern, central, and western regions) have been included in the candidate list for downgrading twice in three consecutive years. The Ministry of Commerce is divided into regions based on the average scores of the two assessments. The list of recommendations for downgrading is researched and submitted to the State Council for approval and then withdrawn from the national economic and technological development zone sequence; second, within two years from the announcement of the decision to withdraw from the national economic and technological development zone sequence, relevant provinces (autonomous regions, cities) shall in principle not recommend provincial development zones for upgrading ; Third, the development zone that has been withdrawn from the national-level economic development zone sequence applies for upgrade again after rectification, and implements the same requirements and procedures as the new upgrade of other provincial-level development zones.
"The assessment and evaluation in 2021 will still use the assessment and evaluation methods issued in 2016, and the assessment indicators are still 53 assessment and evaluation indicators. The new "Measures" will be officially implemented in 2022 and will be used to assess the development level of national economic development zones in 2021 and beyond "Zhu Bing said that after the evaluation work is completed, the Ministry of Commerce will continue to release the evaluation results to the news media, conduct interviews with the low-ranking national economic development zones, and urge rectification.