Economic Daily:

Law enforcement is an important part of achieving the rule of law. The starting points of many law enforcement tasks are highly relevant to the interests of the people. I would like to ask, over the past decade, what efforts has the State Administration of Market Regulation made in strengthening market supervision and law enforcement to better protect the interests of the people? Thank you. 

Gan Lin:

Thank you for your question, as well as the concern and support for the field of market supervision and law enforcement from media friends. Mr. Tang has introduced the reforms and effects made by the State Administration of Market Regulation since the 18th CPC National Congress. The State Administration of Market Regulation was established in 2018 after institutional reforms, demonstrating the transformation of government functions as well as an important reform achievement in building a modern market system. It has achieved the integration of 600,000 market supervision personnel in the fields of law enforcement resources, institutions, and functions, streamlining to one team law enforcement team and further enhancing synergy brought by reforms. I would like to cite a set of statistics to demonstrate the effects of reforms. 

According to the statistics, this year, the average time period to settle a complaint on the well-known platform, 12315, was cut to 10 days, a 70.6% reduction compared to 2018. The success rate of mediation grew by 30%. The customer satisfaction score increased from 71.7 in 2017 to 80.6 in 2021, up by nine points within four years, which is not an easy task. To be specific, I will answer the question from the following three aspects, known as "three insistences."

Firstly, we have insisted on systematic thinking, building modernized supervision and law enforcement system in a holistic and integrated manner. We have integrated law enforcement resources. Given the wide range covered by law enforcement items in the field of market regulation, we have implemented a total of 258 laws, regulations, and rules. We have formulated 71 relevant laws and regulations over the past five years since the reform, basically realizing "six unifications" of directory of law enforcement guidance, the procedure of administrative execution, report and complaint platform, and so on. At the same time, we have carried out joint supervision and punishment mechanism featuring the basic approach of "random selection of cases and market inspectors and timely results publication." We have rolled out targeted regulations towards various credit risks of different levels, fully implemented information publicity of law enforcement, recording of the whole process of law enforcement, and legal review of major law enforcement decisions. Meanwhile, we have promoted digital reforms such as smart supervision and handheld law enforcement. Moreover, we have advanced the three sets of combination of prevention and governance, punishment and education, and law enforcement and popularization of law, comprehensively utilizing multi-tiered monitoring tools. Some local departments have explored new law enforcement methods such as "no penalty for the first breach" and "exemption from penalty for minor breaches" in a bid to ensure the coordination of legal effects and social harmony.

Secondly, we have insisted on serving overall interests and strengthening law enforcement in key areas. We have resolutely maintained the market order related to the epidemic in accordance with the law. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have seized a total of 138 million problematic masks and cracked down on 15,900 price gouging cases. We have fully banned the wildlife trade, provided solid support to the overall situation of epidemic prevention and control, continuously carried out anti-arbitrary charge campaigns and returned over 320 million yuan of fees back to enterprises, and played a part in stabilizing the macro-economic market. Moreover, we have actively participated in a set of campaigns such as a crackdown on gang crimes, a fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin, and a fight against pornography and illegal publications. In all major political activities of the Party and country, we have firmly held the bottom line of safety supervision and vigorously regulated marketing behaviors and advertising orientations in a bid to build a sound and orderly market environment.

Thirdly, we have insisted on the people-oriented law enforcement concept and taken combined measures to ensure the implementation of comprehensive law enforcement. As part of our efforts to carry out the "four most" requirements, which are the strictest standards, supervision, punishment, and accountability, we have launched a set of campaigns to address food safety issues in campuses and rural areas as well as improve food qualities. Our case handling efficiency has increased by 60% over the past five years, playing a part in ensuring that every bite of food we eat is safe. At the same time, we have focused on the "key matters" around people and continuously carried out "iron fist" campaigns in the field of livelihood. We have severely cracked down on 16 kinds of illegal activities such as false advertising of "magic medicine," refurbishment of gas cylinders, and so on. We have severely investigated and dealt with malpractices of bottomless advertising, producing inferior children's toys, illegal measuring with glasses, and so on, in a bid to protect the health and safety of minors. Meanwhile, we have carried out campaigns to address the issues in the health care market and pension fraud issues so as to protect the property security of the elderly.

For the next step, the State Administration of Market Regulation will regard Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as our guidance, ensuring that all areas and the whole process of market supervision and law enforcement reflect people's interests and wishes, safeguard their rights and interests, and improve people's well-being. We will further improve the efficiency of regulations and law enforcement in a bid to constantly enhance people's sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. Thank you.