BEIJING -- China will take more targeted measures to make it easier for businesses to resume work and restore normal activities, Economic Information Daily reported Monday, citing an official from the country's top economic planner.

While keeping necessary policies in place to control the COVID-19 epidemic, China will quicken its pace to remove "unreasonable" regulations hampering work resumption and deepen reforms to push for the solid implementation of supportive policies, the official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told the paper.

As the novel coronavirus outbreak has been gradually contained in China, authorities have rolled out a string of policies to guide businesses back to work, but hurdles including administrative red tape have stalled progress in some places, the official noted.

To further optimize the business environment, the NDRC will simplify procedures for businesses to restart activities and digitalize the process required for business resumption, the official noted, pledging to scrap outdated temporary restrictions and clear up illegal fees for business reopening.

A State Council executive meeting last week called for further efforts to improve the business environment, including updating the negative list on market access and removing the access hurdles facing private firms, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to boost effective investment from the private sector.