You wanted to be a lawyer but became hesitant because of complicated application for permission to practice? In the past if foreign enterprises wanted to invest in production in Sichuan, they had to get the documents of approval and introduction letter from approval authority…. Well, from now on, those roadblocks will be cleared away one by one; life and work would be much easier in Sichuan! On January 12, the 72nd executive meeting chaired by the provincial governor Wei Hong passed the “Administrative Examination and Approval Preconditions Catalog on Provincial Departments’ Non-investment Projects” and then the Sichuan Provincial Government Office issued it. In this catalog, 186 preconditions had been adjusted or canceled, accounting for more than 20% of administrative examination and approval precondition catalog. Thus, Sichuan retained administrative approval preconditions reduced to 698 items and those implemented by the administrative organization will all be transferred to administrative service center.
From now on, those requirements which have been included in “Canceled and Adjusted Administrative Examination and Approval Preconditions Catalog on Non-investment Projects” will not be implemented as preconditions. It was reported that among those 168 preconditions, 89 were canceled. 70 items were adjusted to apply materials. Application materials were no longer needed to be provided and compiled by administrative government (public institutions) or intermediary organs; applicant can provide and compile them by themselves. 27 preconditions were adjusted so that administrative government would organize and implement after application accepted; applicant did not need to submit materials any more.
Approval Was Canceled for Foreign Enterprises to Invest in Sichuan
Under the new regulations, many restrictions related to foreign companies and foreigners in Sichuan will be lifted. For example, in the past, foreigners needed approval to enter the natural conservation area; they must have review comments from foreign affair management bureau of municipality (autonomous prefecture) level or above where their reception unit, cooperative unit or agency unit were located. This time this requirement was canceled.
At the same time, among the registration procedures of those foreign (regional) enterprises which engaged in production activities in Sichuan, six kinds of documents of approval together with introduction letter were also canceled, including approval documents of: engaging in oil and other mineral resources exploration, undertaking offshore oil engineering, contracting onshore oil projects, establishing foreign bank branches, contracting houses, wood and soil engineering and construction, decoration, lines, pipelines, equipment installation and engaging other production and operating activities.
It Might Be More Easier to Apply for Lawyer Practicing License
In addition to foreigners and foreign companies, lawyers will benefit a lot from those new regulations. According to regulations, 7 requirements related to lawyers practicing license will be canceled or adjusted. Applicants thus can provide and compile application materials by themselves; the approval authority will organize to go through them after they accept those application materials. Requirements canceled or adjusted include: proof from domicile when taking the judicial examination, proof of lawyer license withdrawal and logoff from former practicing city’s administrative organization of justice, practicing file provided by administrative organization of justice of former practicing city, transfer proof of legal professional qualification certificate or lawyer’s qualification certificate outside the former practicing province and so on.
