Starting in April, these new regulations will affect our daily lives.

The “Quality Assessment Standards for Childcare Institutions” have been in effect since April 1. The standards stipulate that childcare institutions must obtain a business license to provide childcare services, and their business scope must explicitly include “childcare services” or “care services for infants and toddlers under the age of three.”

  The national standard “Information Technology — Biometric Recognition — Test Methods for Facial Recognition Systems” officially came into effect on April 1. The standard establishes standardized and unified test methods for facial recognition systems, enhancing the quality and reliability of testing, and fostering the development and application of facial recognition technology.

  The “Procedures for Handling Credit Reporting Complaints” have been in effect since April 15. The procedures require branches of the People’s Bank of China to uniformly publish complaint channels on their official websites, streamline identity verification requirements for complainants, and introduce new procedures such as document review, suspension of proceedings, and consolidated handling.

  The Measures for the Administration of Consumer Finance Companies have been in effect since April 18, clearly stipulating that entry requirements will be tightened. Specifically, the thresholds for key investors’ assets, operating revenue, and other relevant indicators, as well as the minimum shareholding ratio, have been raised, thereby strengthening the shareholder responsibilities of major investors.

  The “Requirements for Restricting Excessive Packaging of Products: Fresh Edible Agricultural Products” has been in effect since April 1. The standard stipulates that vegetables (including edible fungi) and eggs shall not exceed three layers of packaging, while fruits, livestock and poultry meat, and aquatic products shall not exceed four layers.

  The newly revised national standard for “Express Delivery Services” has been in effect since April 1. The standard introduces requirements for intelligent services, including smart security inspection systems and smart terminals for package collection and delivery, such as smart mailboxes, smart parcel lockers, autonomous delivery vehicles, and drones.

  The revised national standard, “Guidance Service Specifications,” has been in effect since April 1. The standard stipulates that tour guides must strictly adhere to the shopping arrangements specified in the tourism contract and may not hawk goods to tourists or induce, deceive, compel, or otherwise coerce them into making purchases.

  The Measures for the Administration of Central Reserve Cotton shall come into effect on April 1. The Measures stipulate that Sinograin Group and the enterprises entrusted with storage shall not, without authorization, change the storage locations of central reserve cotton; shall not falsely report or conceal the quantity of central reserve cotton; and shall not, without authorization, substitute one variety of central reserve cotton for another.

  The Measures on Administrative Penalties for Coal Industry shall come into force on April 1, emphasizing that the administrative penalty procedure is divided into a simplified procedure and a general procedure. Where an administrative penalty decision is made on the spot in accordance with the law, the simplified procedure shall apply; for all other administrative penalties in the coal industry, the general procedure shall apply in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Penalty Law of the People’s Republic of China.

  According to the National Medical Products Administration’s Announcement on Adjusting Certain Contents of the “Classification Catalogue of Medical Devices,” effective April 1, radiofrequency therapeutic devices and radiofrequency skin‑treatment devices may not be manufactured, imported, or sold without having obtained a medical device registration certificate in accordance with the law.

  On April 1, a pilot program for direct settlement of work-related injury medical expenses across provinces was officially launched, with a one-year duration. The participating workers covered by the pilot include those who reside long-term in another province, those who are stationed there for work, and those who have been referred to another locality for treatment.

Local New Regulations

  From April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025, stamp duty shall be exempted on sales contracts executed by enterprises registered in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Lingang New Area when engaging in offshore resale transactions.

  The “Notice on Further Standardizing the Payment of Wages to Rural Migrant Workers in Chengdu’s Construction Sector” will take effect on April 1 and remain in force for three years. It clearly defines the general contractor’s responsibility for direct wage disbursement and the labor subcontractor’s obligation to directly employ workers, while setting forth management requirements covering all aspects, including contract signing, workforce dispatch, real-name attendance recording, and wage payment.

  Effective April 1, Qingdao, Shandong Province, will temporarily lift the floor on interest rates for first-home commercial personal housing loans. This adjustment applies to newly issued first-home commercial personal housing loans in Qingdao, while the policy floor for second-home commercial personal housing loan rates will remain in effect under the current regulations.

  The “Notice on Optimizing Certain Housing Provident Fund Policies,” formulated and issued by the Fuzhou Housing Provident Fund Management Committee, will take effect on April 1 and remain in force for five years. The notice stipulates that, for multi-child families who comply with the birth policy and apply for a housing provident fund loan to purchase a home for self-occupancy, an additional RMB 200,000 will be added to the loan‑amount calculation for families with two children, and an additional RMB 400,000 for families with three children.

[Editor-in-charge: Li Zhiqiang]

Source: CCTV News Client