In an effort to improve government efficiency, the State Council's executive meeting decided on June 4 to abolish or delegate 52 items of administrative procedures previously subject to the State Council's review.

These administrative procedures, as part of the 200 items that Premier Li Keqiang proposed cutting this year in his annual work report to the legislature, will streamline the administration for investors and business startups, create job opportunities and ensure that favorable policies make full use of innovation in the market, according to a statement released after the meeting.

For example, applications for preferential tax rates for small and micro-sized companies and businesses offering job opportunities to laid-off workers will be streamlined to simplify tax reduction procedures.

The government will continue to reduce the number of items subject to government approval before starting a business and release details about those items to the public for supervision, the statement said.