Streamlining Government and Delegating Authority

Streamlining government aims at eliminating overstaffing and consolidating duplicated or overlapping – and often mutually interfering – government functions, so as to better address such problems as the inadequate provision of public goods and services and the poor efficiency of the work of the government. Delegating authority is intended to cut red tape that subjects an unnecessarily extensive array of business activities to a complex and lengthy government approval process. Such a move should free the government from unwarranted reach into areas it would do better to stay away from, thereby leaving it free to focus on what really falls within its purview, especially those duties it is supposed to perform but has not performed adequately. 

The current Chinese administration has made it a top priority to accelerate the process of transforming government functions, streamlining government, and delegating authority. By the end of 2013, a total of 416 items originally requiring State Council review and approval had been reclassified as exempt from such review or sent to lower levels of the government for approval. More than 200 items were addressed in a similar manner in 2014. 

The key to transforming government functions is the right balance between delegation and the exercise of control. To delegate authority is meant to inject more vitality into economic activities, rather than embracing an unqualified laissez-faire approach. To exercise control is to ensure that the market functions appropriately, rather than stifling the economy with regulatory overreach. 

Streamlining government and delegating authority helps rationalize the relationship between the government and the market, giving the market a bigger role to play in allocating resources. This ultimately propels reform, helps restructuring, and improves people's well-being. The shifting of focus from pre-implementation approval to monitoring during and after implementation calls for a more detail-oriented and better targeted supervisory function for the government, rather than reducing its workload. Such a change represents a challenge for government departments. There is now a need for a paradigm shift and enhanced capacity. 

It is vital to develop a forward-looking vision and be proactive in gauging market dynamics with a view to amplifying the positive effect of market drivers and minimizing the negative influence of any market failure in a timely manner. 

簡政放權

“簡政”，即解決機構職能交叉、政出多門、人浮于事、相互掣肘的現象，解決社會公共產品和服務提供不足、行政效率低下的問題。“放權”，則是解決對經濟活動審批過多、審批程序復雜、審批周期長效率低的問題，解決政府管了一些不該管的事情、一些該管的事情卻沒管好的問題。中國本屆政府把加快轉變職能、簡政放權作為開門第一件大事。到2013年底，分批取消和下放了416項行政審批等事項，2014年取消和下放審批事項200項以上。轉變政府職能的核心要義，是要切實做好“放管”結合。 “‘放’是放活，而不是放任；‘管’要管好，而不是管死。”

簡政放權是為了理順政府與市場的關系，更好地發揮市場在資源配置的作用，歸根結底是促改革調結構惠民生。由事前審批變為事中事后監管，不是給政府工作“減壓”，而是相關工作要做得更細致，監管要更到位。這種工作方式的轉變，對政府職能部門提出了更高的要求：不僅觀念要變，更要增長能力，要主動研究市場規律，具備前瞻眼光，對市場發展有利的要積極鼓勵，對市場發展不利的要及時調整。