Premier Li Keqiang presided over an executive meeting of the State Council, which approved the draft Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases.

　　On March 17, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council presided over an executive meeting of the State Council, which outlined measures to further advance the “delegation, regulation, and service” reform, foster and strengthen new growth drivers, and promote stable employment. The meeting also called for accelerating the resumption of work on major investment projects to effectively address shortcomings and improve people’s livelihoods, and approved the draft Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases.
　　The meeting pointed out that, in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we must coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development and ensure the “six stabilizations,” placing stable employment at the top of our priorities. First, as the epidemic situation continues to improve, while maintaining necessary preventive measures, we should abolish unreasonable regulations that impede the resumption of work and production, enabling more workers to return to their jobs promptly so they can find work and earn an income. Second, we must deepen the “delegation, regulation, and service” reform by eliminating outdated temporary control measures and unwarranted requirements for certificates and fees. Procedures for implementing policies to support businesses and alleviate their difficulties should be streamlined, and government services related to enterprises should be handled online whenever possible, ensuring that businesses—especially small and micro‑enterprises and individual business households—can benefit widely and quickly. Third, we should harness the positive role of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation,” adopting more market‑based approaches to promote employment and entrepreneurship among key groups such as college graduates and rural migrant workers. We will support the development of demonstration bases and incubators for “mass entrepreneurship and innovation,” creating more opportunities for college students to start businesses and find employment. We will encourage national research projects to hire university graduates as research assistants or support staff, with labor costs and related social security subsidies covered from project funds in accordance with regulations. We will remove barriers and ease restrictions on diverse forms of entrepreneurship and flexible employment. We will expand the scope of eligible applicants for entrepreneurial guarantee loans and exempt high‑quality projects from counter‑guarantee requirements, thereby alleviating financing difficulties faced by small and micro‑enterprises and individual business households. We will promptly issue guiding standards for rent reductions or exemptions on publicly owned premises for small, medium, and micro‑enterprises. Local governments are encouraged to provide subsidies to private property owners and platform enterprises that offer preferential terms to small and micro‑enterprises and individual business households. State‑owned electricity and water supply companies will ensure uninterrupted service and waive late‑payment penalties for small, medium, and micro‑enterprises that fall behind on payments during the pandemic. Fourth, we will strengthen support for “Internet Plus” initiatives and the platform economy, develop new forms of the digital economy, and create new jobs and professions. Leveraging the industrial internet, we will accelerate the digital transformation and cloud adoption of traditional industries. Focusing on sectors with significant employment potential—such as elderly care, childcare, and domestic services—we will foster integrated online‑offline lifestyle service industries. We will support the development of shared‑employment and employment‑security platforms, providing online services for flexible workers in areas such as job placement and social security.
　　The meeting emphasized that advancing the resumption of work on major investment projects should be regarded as a key component of stabilizing investment and expanding domestic demand. It called for promptly addressing issues such as labor recruitment, raw material supply, financing, and the provision of epidemic‑prevention supplies in the construction of major projects across all types of ownership, while accelerating progress on 11,000 ongoing priority projects nationwide. The issuance and utilization of local government special bonds—allocated ahead of schedule in accordance with regulations—should be expedited, and central budgetary investment allocations should be promptly disbursed. Authorities were urged to accelerate preparatory work for more than 4,000 new priority projects slated to commence this year and to strengthen the pipeline of follow‑up projects. A green channel will be established for the approval and ratification of major projects to enable their swift commencement.
　　The meeting noted that promoting agricultural development and ensuring food security are essential foundations for sound economic and social progress. The meeting adopted the Draft Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Pests and Diseases, which clearly defines the responsibilities of governments at all levels, relevant departments, and agricultural producers and operators, and further refines and improves the comprehensive prevention-and-control framework covering monitoring and forecasting, preventive measures, and emergency response. This provides a legal guarantee for agricultural development, particularly for effectively managing major pest and disease outbreaks this year and stabilizing grain production.
　　The meeting also reviewed other matters.

Source: China Government Website Author: China Government Website