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SCIO press conference on strengthening the rule of law to support high-quality development

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Nanfang Metropolis Daily:

We have observed that to get notarization services, people have to provide a plethora of documents and endure a relatively lengthy waiting period, among other issues. So, what measures has the MOJ taken to streamline notarization for the public? Thank you.

Liu Changchun:

Thank you for the question. In recent years, the MOJ has prioritized notarization-related issues that are of the greatest concern to the public and has implemented a number of measures accordingly. These measures include the adjustment of lists of documents required for notarization, with the aim of enhancing law-based governance and better satisfying the public.

First, we have continued to trim the lists of documents needed for notarization. Since the public often finds it burdensome to provide numerous documents for notarization and has developed strong sentiments on this matter, the MOJ thoroughly sorted the document lists compiled by local authorities, eliminating unnecessary items. Documents that can be independently verified by notary offices or accessed through government information-sharing systems are no longer required to be provided by the public. If the facts are clear and the legal relationship is simple, the supplementary documents needed for notarization need not be original copies. Following the revision of the previous lists, we issued the List of Supporting Documents for Notarial Matters (2023 Edition), which covers 81 notarial matters in 33 categories, in June, eliminating 116 unnecessary documents, amounting to a reduction of 29.3%. With this, we solved the problem of repetitive and unnecessary efforts, gaining widespread recognition from the public.

Second, we have continuously optimized our notarization services. To ensure the well-being of the people and enhance the business environment in key areas, the MOJ has instructed local authorities to expand the scope of one-stop handling of all notarization matters, fully implementing the one-time notification system. We have established a collaborative mechanism between notarization and consular authentication, achieving "one application, one-window acceptance, and coordinated processing," thus overcoming the "last-mile challenge" in the notarization and authentication process. We have also launched the "Internet Plus Notarization" initiative and promoted the "cross-provincial handling" of certain notarization matters. We have selected 295 notarization institutions to collaborate with overseas embassies and consulates in conducting remote video notarization, meeting the notarization service needs of Chinese citizens abroad.

Third, we have successfully reduced the burden on the public for notarization. We have enhanced the mechanism for determining notarization service prices, clearly identifying basic notarization services crucial to people's livelihoods. We have also offered guidance to local authorities to waive or reduce notarization fees for special groups, such as low-income individuals and older adults, in accordance with regulations. Since the beginning of this year, we have processed over 11,000 will notarizations for elderly individuals free of charge. Thank you.