SCIO briefing on administrative approval system reform
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 10, 2014
China Daily:
The State Council has decided to cut approval items and accreditation of some vocational qualifications. What are the major approval items to be cancelled? What is the process now and what will be the next moves? Does the policy mean the cancelation of all such approval items or the abolition of the vocational qualification certificate system?
Sun Jianli:
Reducing items of approvals and accreditation of certain vocational qualifications is one of the important tasks the State Council has listed on its agenda of deepening the reform of administrative examination and approval system and the transformation of government functions. The State Council attaches great importance to this task and has made special arrangements. Premier Li Keqiang has raised the explicit requirement that greater efforts should be made to clean up and standardize various vocational qualification approvals without undermining the qualification system. In the meantime, vocational standards will be drawn up and supervision methods will be changed, to remove all the obstacles that prevent market entities from starting and running their businesses. As the general administrative authority of China’s vocational qualification system, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has given top priority to relevant work. In the light of the State Council’s requirements, we have so far carried out work in the following aspects:
First, we have formulated a specific plan to reduce vocational qualification approvals and accreditation. Second, we have carried out a series of surveys and found out more about vocational qualification approvals in different provincial regions and by different departments. According to incomplete statistics, more than 1100 items of approvals or confirmations of vocational qualifications have been set up by various departments at different levels across the country. Of this number, more than 560 have been established by various departments of the State Council and more than 570 by local governments. Third, we have communicated and negotiated with the competent departments of industries under the State Council on details concerning the reduction of vocational qualification approvals and accreditation many times. Fourth, we have issued a document on reducing vocational qualification approvals under the consent of the State Council. In the document, we stipulated specifications on the guiding thought, basic principles and requirements of our work.
You just asked what kinds of vocational qualification approvals will be cut. Our work will focus on the following four aspects: First, all vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission established without a legal basis will be cut. Second, in cases where vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission were established within a legal framework but are not closely related to national security, public security and the safety of citizens and their property, and are not supposed to fall into the management of the vocational qualification system; the relevant laws and regulations will be amended to cross such approval items out. Third, the aptitude assessment-related vocational qualification approvals established by the departments of the State Council and national industrial associations and societies will be cancelled; those that are deemed necessary to be retained should be brought under the unified planning and management of the national vocational qualification system. Fourth, the vocational qualification approvals set by local governments will be canceled. In accordance with these basic principles, the State Council decided at its two executive meetings in June and August that 58 items of vocational qualification approvals set up by its departments will be cancelled in two batches. In addition, local governments have been ordered to cancel more than 570 approvals they set up. It should be said that such moves meet the State Council’s and local governments’ needs to transform government functions and reduce administrative approvals. More importantly, such moves help lower the employment threshold and post-permit restrictions of some occupations, as well as reduce the burdens on both employers and employees, and stimulate the innovation vitality of talented personnel.
China’s vocational qualification certificate system will also be improved and develop in a sound and standardized way through the reduction, cleaning up and overhaul of vocational qualification approvals and accreditations. We will then strengthen our efforts to cut more such approval items according to the requirement of the State Council and intensify our supervision and management. We will focus on the following aspects: First, we will clean up more such approvals in November this year, and by the end of 2015, the relevant objectives will be basically fulfilled. Some vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission and aptitude assessment set by various departments will be included. Second comes the issue of management after these approval items are cancelled. In the future, the country will form a checklist under the vocational qualification management system. Those included in the list will be allowed to carry out relevant accreditations.
Third, we will amend the National Occupational Classification to improve the occupational standards and establish a unified and sound national occupational qualification system in the light of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s requirement. At the same time, we will roll out the administrative regulations on setting up vocational qualifications, so as to exercise management by law. Fourth, we will settle the problems arising from the cancellation of such approvals in an appropriate manner, and study and formulate the specific measures on getting industrial associations and societies involved in the accreditations of aptitude assessment-related vocational qualifications in an orderly manner, so as to help such organizations carry out specific vocational qualification accreditations. In the future, the industrial associations and societies will gradually undertake the function of accreditations of aptitude assessment-related vocational qualifications, under the basic principle of orderly interlinking, steady transition and standardized management. This is one of the important tasks the State Council put forward in its plan of institutional restructuring. As some of our industrial associations are yet to be fully standardized, and some lack the required capabilities and self-discipline, the general requirement allows this move to be implemented on a trial basis and gradually disseminated. The government will formulate vocational standards and evaluation specifications, and tighten supervision and management. That’s my answer.
Zhang Lixin:
The question has attracted a lot of attention from society and is necessary for us to clarify it to the media and the public. China adopted the vocational qualification certificate system in 1994. According to the Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China, the State determines vocational classification, sets vocational skill standards for classified occupations, and practices a system of vocational qualification certification. Currently, there are two kinds of vocational qualifications: vocational qualifications concerning employment access and vocational qualifications on aptitude assessment. Vocational qualifications concerning employment access fall into the administrative approval category, and are set up by the State according to relevant laws, regulations and the decisions of the State Council. Vocational qualifications on aptitude assessment are non-administrative approval items, in which the assessment agencies offer talent appraisal services to the public. When cancelling the vocational qualification approval items in batches in line with the State Council’s requirement, the “vocational qualification approval items” here refers to some vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission. The vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission established without legal basis will be canceled. In cases that the vocational qualification approvals concerning employment permission were established in legal framework but are not closely related to national security, public security and the safety of citizens and their property, and are not supposed to fall into the management of the vocational qualification system, the relevant laws and regulations will be amended as per the procedures cut such approval items. As far as the aptitude assessment-related vocational qualification approvals are concerned, the current principle is as follows: The aptitude assessment-related vocational qualification approvals set by local governments at all levels and their affiliated departments will all be cancelled; those set up by the departments of the State Council and the national industrial associations and societies will also be cancelled, and those that are deemed necessary to be retained should be brought under the national unified planning and management with approval from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The cancellation of vocational qualification approvals we mentioned just now doesn't mean that all vocational qualification approvals will be cut. Nor does it mean the cancellation of the national vocational qualification certificate system. The national vocational qualification certificate system, as an appraisal system for talented personnel, is a basic system endorsed by many countries in the world for human resources development and management. It is of positive significance in promoting vocational education and training, improving the overall quality of the labor force, strengthening employment and entrepreneurship, boosting the rational flow of personnel and fueling economic and social development.
Two points should be underlined in the implementation of this move: First, continuous efforts should be exerted to improve the vocational qualification system in line with the State Council’s requirement on transforming government functions, streamlining administration and delegating power. More vocational qualification approvals and accreditations should be cut, cleaning up efforts be strengthened, and supervision methods be changed, so as to knock down the barriers that prevent the market entities from starting and running their businesses, eliminate unnecessary thresholds for employment and start-ups, and put an end to the unregulated qualification tests and certifications. In this way, we will reduce the burdens on both the employers and employees, create an agreeable environment for employment and start-ups, and stimulate market vitality. Second, efforts should be made to ensure the enforcement of the employment access system by law. According to the specifications of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Promotion of Employment, the State applies a vocational certification system to the workers who are engaged in such special types of work such as those involving public security, human health, the safety of people’s lives and property. However, there are some types of occupations that do require post permit, but have failed to do so due to the lack of explicit laws and regulations. Examples include boiler equipment operators and installers, electricians and food inspectors. Some industrial departments and employers have strong opinions about this, and call for qualification certifications for these special posts. To tackle this problem, an employment access system for such posts should be developed and improved while implementing the specifications on reducing vocational qualification approvals and accreditations in the State Council’s plan on institutional reform and transformation of government functions. Efforts should be made to speed up the formulation of the administrative regulations on setting up of vocational qualifications according to China's Administrative License Law and the Law on Promotion of Employment, so that job applicants will be required to get a qualification certificate before applying for jobs that involve public security, human health, safety of people’s lives and property, and require the implementation of an employment permit. Reducing vocational qualification approvals and implementing a stringent employment permit system are not contradictory. On the contrary, neither of them can be neglected. Those that should be reduced should be reduced, and those that should be added should be added.
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