In the past week departments and ministries under the State Council, China's Cabinet, have responded to a series of public concerns. They included promoting private investment, optimizing archive management, a consumer warning about the botulinum toxin and dealing with violations in the National College Entrance Examination, or gaokao.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance jointly inspected the development of private investment in May. This showed a lack of private investment confidence due to sluggish market demand, overcapacity in some industries, high costs and some deficiencies in government service.

The government tries to promote private investment by reducing the burden on investors, and providing better services. The National Development and Reform Commission has made great efforts to help enterprises expand direct financing channels, such as actively supporting enterprise bonds.

The Ministry of Finance said the government has taken several measures to reduce enterprises' tax burdens, such as a more favorable tax toward small and micro enterprises, replacing the business tax with a value-added tax, encouraging investment in scientific and technological innovation and canceling several administrative charges.

To encourage investment in public-private partnership (PPP) projects, the government has established a PPP financing support fund and 233 PPP demonstration projects involving more than 700 billion yuan ($106.4 billion). The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has issued an announcement to simplify and optimize archive management for the migrant population.

According to the announcement, archive management service organizations will stop issuing letters of introduction during an individual's archive transfer. Such organizations cannot return an archive for any reason unless the individuals or their employers apply for an archive transfer.

Recently, some hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces have treated patients who suffered from neurotoxicity after being injected with the botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes in nonmedical treatment facilities.

To avoid such incidents, the National Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on June 2 to remind the public that improper use of the A-type botulinum toxin may result in muscle paralysis, respiratory failure and heart failure.

The Ministry of Education said it will deal with violations in the National College Entrance Examination jointly with the departments concerned.

Any candidates who are dishonest, cheat or violate disciplinary rules will be disqualified from that year's exam and suspended from retaking it for one to three years. Their college registration could also be canceled, according to the ministry's regulations.

Amendment 9 of the Criminal Law, which took effect from this year, stipulates for the first time that the crime of organizing cheating during exams is applicable to the National College Entrance Examination.

(China Daily USA 06/14/2016 page7)