Source: China Standards Information Service Network
Notice of the State Administration for Market Regulation on the launch of the new business license
Guo Shi Jian Zhu [2018] No. 253
To the Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:
The business license is an important certificate issued by registration authorities in accordance with the law to all types of market participants, and is a direct manifestation of the work of registering market participants. Since the commercial system reform, the market participant information associated with business licenses has become increasingly rich and its application areas continue to expand. As institutional reform steadily advances, the State Administration for Market Regulation has decided to reform the current business license, adjust its relevant content and redesign and launch a new version of the business license. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:
01
Adjusting the layout and content
The face layout of the new business license has been uniformly adjusted to landscape orientation, with both an original and a duplicate copy. The original measures 297 mm (height) × 420 mm (width); the duplicate's inner sheet measures 210 mm (height) × 297 mm (width). The duplicate is issued together with a cover, the dimensions of which are 225 mm (height) × 310 mm (width). The faces of the original and duplicate are printed in accordance with the "Business License Printing Standards (2019 Edition)" with the national emblem, border, title ("Business License"), the URL of the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, the registration authority's official seal, the date, and the words "Supervised in print by the State Administration for Market Regulation". The faces of the original and duplicate are printed in accordance with the "Business License Printing Standards (2019 Edition)" with the unified social credit code and number, the names and content of the recorded items, the QR code, etc.; the duplicate face additionally carries an annual report reminder. The names of supervising entities on the "Registration Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise" and the "Representative Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise" are also adjusted.
02
Adding QR code functionality
The new business license uniformly upgrades the QR code functionality of the previous version, achieving precise linkage between the QR code and the enterprise information published on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. A reminder is added to the business license: "Scan the QR code to log in to the 'National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System' and learn more about registration, filing, licensing and supervision information", encouraging all sectors of society to scan the QR code to directly query the publicity information of the market participant. This makes it more convenient for the public to learn about market participants, further expands the important role of business licenses in social management and lays a solid foundation for the self-discipline of market participants, departmental supervision and social co-governance.
03
Maintaining the 8 formats
The new business license retains the 8 formats of the previous version unchanged, in order to ensure that the legally recorded items remain clear and definite and to maintain the stability and consistency of the business license. Specifically: format A applies to corporate legal persons; format B to non-corporate legal persons; format C to partnerships; format D to farmers' professional cooperative legal persons; format E to sole proprietorships; format F to individual industrial and commercial households; format G to domestic non-legal-person enterprises, branches of domestic non-corporate enterprises, domestic branch companies, branches of foreign-invested enterprises, branches of partnerships, branches of sole proprietorships, and foreign (region) enterprises engaging in production and business activities within China, etc.; and format H to branches of farmers' professional cooperatives.
04
Receiving printing materials
The new business license is produced by an entity entrusted by the State Administration for Market Regulation in the form of printing films, watermark paper samples and license specimens; copyright belongs to the Administration. These will be distributed free of charge to the Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and related technical support will be provided. Within 15 days of receiving this notice, the Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps shall designate dedicated personnel to come to the Administration with a letter of introduction to collect the printing films, watermark paper samples and license specimens.
05
Strengthening printing management
The Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps shall be uniformly responsible for organizing the printing of the new business license and the "Registration Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise" and the "Representative Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise" within their jurisdictions. Printing enterprises shall be selected in accordance with relevant regulations and the qualification requirements specified in the printing standards, and supervision and management of printing quality, quantity and other work shall be strengthened to guarantee printing quality and security. Printing enterprises whose products fail quality requirements shall be prohibited from releasing such products and shall destroy them; printing enterprises that allow the licenses they print to circulate to society without authorization shall have their printing entrustment revoked; and any unauthorized printing of business licenses without designation by the provincial-level market regulation department, or other illegal printing of business licenses, shall be dealt with in accordance with the law.
06
Standardizing the use of ethnic minority scripts
Where ethnic autonomous regions have, in accordance with the requirements of the "Notice of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Issues Concerning the Launch of the New Business License" (Gong Shang Qi Zi [2014] No. 30), already had their original provincial (autonomous regional) administrations for industry and commerce report to and obtain approval and filing from the former State Administration for Industry and Commerce, they may simultaneously use that ethnic group's script on the new business license. Where this has not yet been reported and filed with the former State Administration for Industry and Commerce, provincial (autonomous regional) market regulation departments must report to and obtain approval and filing from the State Administration for Market Regulation before they may simultaneously use ethnic minority scripts.
07
Launching and replacing on schedule
From 1 March 2019 onward, all types of market participants for which the registration authority approves establishment, change of registration or reissuance of business licenses shall be issued the new business license (including the new "Registration Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise" and "Representative Certificate of Resident Representative Office of a Foreign (Region) Enterprise"; the same below). Existing market participants of all kinds may continue to use the previous version of the business license or apply to have it replaced with the new version.
08
Advancing the application of electronic business licenses
The Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps shall, in accordance with the standards and norms of the State Administration for Market Regulation, properly carry out the redesign of the electronic business license. For market participants that have received the new paper business license, the corresponding new electronic business license shall be generated synchronously and stored in the electronic business license repository. The cross-regional, cross-industry and cross-domain application of the electronic business license shall continue to be advanced, and market participants are encouraged to download and use the electronic business license.
The Market Regulation Bureaus (Departments, Commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps shall strengthen leadership, organize carefully, reinforce responsibility and prepare thoroughly to ensure the timely launch and replacement of the new business license. Any situations or issues encountered in the use of the new business license shall be reported to the State Administration for Market Regulation in a timely manner.
State Administration for Market Regulation
19 December 2018
