Timely land use approval for investment projects

Land use approval for major investment projects will not be delayed during the resumption of work and production, Liu Guohong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Natural Resources, said on March 21.

Since the start of the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic, the ministry has implemented special procedures to speed up administrative approval in order to provide timely and accurate services to guarantee land use so that investment projects can begin as soon as possible, Liu said.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing held by the State Council's joint epidemic prevention and control mechanism, he said one problem with the existing land approval system was that it took too long to get administrative permission.

Liu said China's revised Land Administration Law, which took effect on Jan 1, authorized provincial governments to approve two items that previously required State Council approval.

Reforms such as integrating business certification and licenses into one consolidated business license had also helped to reduce the procedures needed for land approval, he said.

Xinhua contributed to the story.