1. Question: Why should we carry out the reform of the examination and approval system for engineering construction projects? Please introduce the background of the pilot project of the reform of the examination and approval system for engineering construction projects.

Answer: The Party Central Committee and the State Council have always attached great importance to creating a good business environment and the work related to the reform of "release control clothing". General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed the importance of removing regulations and practices that hinder the unification of markets and fair competition, stimulating the vitality of various market players, implementing a high-level policy of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and creating a stable, fair, transparent and predictable business environment. Premier Li Keqiang pointed out that the business environment is competitiveness and productivity, and the focus of economic development should be shifted from "grasping projects" to "grasping environment", and the reform of "releasing control clothing" should be further promoted. Vice Premier Han Zheng has given instructions on many occasions and held meetings to study and deploy related work.

In recent years, various parties concerned have deepened the reform of "putting in charge of uniforms". They have achieved remarkable results in facilitating enterprises and the masses to start businesses, effectively reducing institutional transaction costs, and speeding up the transformation of government functions and work styles.  However, we should also see that the current construction project approval procedures are many, difficult, time-consuming and other issues are still prominent. In 2017, China ranked 78 in the World Bank's Global Business Environment Report, of which 172 were in the "Building Licensing" index and the last in the ranking of 10 evaluation indicators. In January this year, the executive meeting of the State Council deployed a request that the Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Construction take the lead in promoting the ranking of construction permit indicators and promoting the reform of the examination and approval system of construction projects. On March 5, Premier Li Keqiang explicitly put forward the requirement of "halving the time for approval of construction projects" in his "Government Work Report". Vice Premier Han Zheng has repeatedly listened to the report on the reform of the examination and approval system of construction projects, and has given clear instructions for the reform. He has asked the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction to take the modernization of the government's governance system and governance capacity as the goal, conscientiously carry out the reform of the examination and approval system of construction projects, and select some cities to carry out reform trials. The reform should be carried out in full process and coverage so as to form a nationwide unified examination and approval and management system for construction projects as soon as possible.

On May 14, the General Office of the State Council issued the Notice on Pilot Reform of the Examination and Approval System for Construction Projects (No. 33 of the State Administration [2018], hereinafter referred to as the Notice), and decided to launch the Notice in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian, Nanjing, Xiamen, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Guangzhou. Shenzhen City, Chengdu City, Guiyang City, Weinan City, Yan'an City and Zhejiang Province have carried out pilot reform of examination and approval system for construction projects.

2. Question: The Notice requires "the whole process and full coverage reform of the approval system for construction projects". What is "the whole process and full coverage"?

Answer: "Whole process" refers to the process of approval, which covers the whole process of project approval, from project establishment to completion acceptance and public facilities access services. "Full coverage" refers to the coverage of housing construction and urban infrastructure projects in the category of Engineering projects, in addition to special projects and major projects in the fields of transportation, water conservancy and energy, which should be included in the scope of reform, including both government-invested projects and social-invested projects; and in handling matters, which should be covered by both. Pre-examination of land cover, project planning permission, construction permission, environmental impact assessment, energy conservation review and other administrative permission matters, but also covers the design review, construction drawings review, water supply, heating, gas supply and other technical review, intermediary services, municipal public services and records of all types of matters.

3. Question: What are the main objectives of this reform?

Answer: The Circular has put forward clear objectives and requirements for the pilot reform. In 2018, the framework and management system of the approval system for construction projects in pilot areas were built. According to the prescribed process, the approval time was reduced by more than half, from an average of more than 200 working days to 120 working days. In 2019, we will sum up and popularize the pilot experience and carry out the reform of the approval system for construction projects nationwide. In the first half of the year, the approval time will be reduced to 120 working days, and the items and time for examination and approval in the pilot areas will be further reduced. The framework and management system of the approval system for construction projects built in cities at prefecture level and above will be further reduced. In 2020, a nationwide unified system for examination, approval and management of construction projects will be basically established.

4. Question: This reform proposes to unify the examination and approval process. Why and how should the examination and approval process be unified?

Answer: Examination and approval procedures for construction projects are complex, involving many departments, difficult, slow, multi-headed and back-and-forth running, and the efficiency of examination and approval is not high. One of the important reasons for these problems is that the approval process of construction projects is not standardized, scientific and unified, and there are too many pre-approval and tandem approval items. In some areas, there is a phenomenon that the approval items are in front of each other. This reform proposes that we should thoroughly change the past model of series approval and multi-head approval, break the fence of departments, reorganize the unified process of engineering construction project approval, vigorously implement parallel approval, and comprehensively improve the efficiency of approval.

This reform divides the approval process of construction projects into four stages according to the construction procedure: planning permission of land for project establishment, construction permission, construction permission and completion acceptance. Among them, the permission stage of land use planning for project establishment mainly includes the approval and filing of project approval, issuance and use of site selection opinions.