Efficient Government Services: Consolidating Standardized Mechanisms

In January 2024, the State Council issued guidelines for further optimizing government services and promoting efficient governance; in July of that year, the General Office of the State Council released a new list of key tasks to accelerate the implementation of these initiatives.

To further enhance the sense of gain among enterprises and the public, the State Council held a regular meeting on June 27, 2025, to deploy standardized mechanisms for promoting efficient governance.

Why promote efficient governance at the national level?

The underlying intention is to transform the government service concept and processes through deep reforms, solving long-standing problems that have plagued enterprises and citizens in their dealings with the government. The goal is to shift from "can do" to "should do" and "must do," optimizing business processes, simplifying materials, and minimizing costs.

Reform corresponds to numerous pain points for enterprises and citizens, such as insufficient inter-departmental coordination, leading to repetitive submissions and data silos; the lack of integration in public services like water, electricity, and education.

What are the effects of reform?

In Zhejiang Province, many residents have benefited from streamlined government services, such as one-stop shops for business licenses, social insurance registration, public seal registration, invoice applications, and bank account reservations.

In Guangzhou, relevant departments have continuously expanded the scope of application, introducing a series of "one thing" themed services, including foreign worker employment, crime-free records, driving license renewals, real estate transfers, and utility bill settlements.

It is not difficult to see that efficient governance has driven a major transformation in government services, benefiting both citizens and enterprises while promoting improvements in the business environment and administrative efficiency.

Now, the State Council's regular meeting has deployed standardized mechanisms for promoting efficient governance, marking a shift from a phased approach to institutionalization and long-term sustainability.

Standardized mechanisms will have multiple impacts.

Firstly, previous reforms validated the effectiveness of process re-engineering, data sharing, and other measures through pilot projects; standardized mechanisms mean that these experiences will be elevated to institutional norms, avoiding regression due to leadership changes or administrative shifts.

Secondly, by establishing standardized lists and evaluation standards, the reform aims to promote consistent government services across regions, solving the problem of "each region innovates but standards are not uniform."

To strengthen the standardization mechanism, it is necessary to follow up on this State Council meeting's requirements, push forward with the comprehensive implementation of key tasks, and optimize and expand task ranges based on feedback from citizens and enterprises.

In addition, we must leverage digital technologies to empower governance, achieving intelligence and precision. For example, by analyzing big data to understand citizens' and enterprises' needs, we can proactively push relevant policies and services; through blockchain technology, we can ensure the safe sharing and transmission of government data, improving service efficiency and quality.

The continued deepening of reforms will further enhance convenience for citizens and enterprises, injecting strong momentum into optimizing the business environment and promoting high-quality economic development. It will also further boost government credibility, laying a solid foundation for modernizing the national governance system and capabilities.

(The author is a special commentator.)