Company News

This issue of Vietnam Briefing examines ROs – the processes of working with them, and the rationale for either upgrading or closing them. We explain not just how to close up your RO, but also list out the common reasons for doing so. In addition, we include detailed instructions and timelines on how long it takes to upgrade or close up shop.

Last week, the Indian government announced a variety of measures to boost India’s exports, including added benefits to special economic zones (SEZs), and a slew of incentives for exporters.

The Indian Government has granted in-principle approval for the establishment of 12 National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) throughout India. According to the official press release from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India seeks to create industrial townships which will be benchmarked to be the best manufacturing hubs in the world.

Jim Zimmerman, the China managing partner of U.S. law firm Sheppard Mullin, is a good friend of China Briefing and is also both the Chairman Emeritus of Amcham China and the author of the China Law Deskbook – considered by many to be the bible of China law. Jim has recently introduced a regular update service to the China Law Deskbook and has kindly given permission for China Briefing to host it here.

Jiangsu Provincial People’s Congress released the new “Labor Contract Rules of Jiangsu Province (hereinafter referred to as ‘Rules’)” on January 2013, which are the first labor contract regulations issued by a local government since China’s Labor Contract Law became effective in 2008. The Rules are scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2013, and have made several changes to different aspects of Jiangsu’s labor contract regulations. Detailed information can be found below.

Apr. 29 – China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the “White Paper on Intellectual Property Rights Protection (2012)” (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Paper’) on April 22, which summarizes the progress China has made in promoting and implementing the national intellectual property strategy in 2012. Detailed information can be found below.

Over the last few years, delays and uncertainties have arisen in many merger control cases in China mainly due to the lack of a simplified merger review process. Therefore, it has become urgent and necessary for China to adopt a simplified procedure to review its merger cases. In the first quarter of 2013, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) cleared 45 mergers unconditionally, a 24 percent decline compared with the mergers cleared in the last quarter of 2012.

Newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Lou Jiwei and Director of the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) Wang Jun were interviewed by the official central media of China on April 16 concerning the further development of the pilot reforms on the value-added tax (VAT) in lieu of business tax (BT) and how to deepen the reforms in the financial and tax systems. The Chinese State Council previously announced its plans to have the current VAT pilot reforms, which currently only affect certain trial cities, to expand nationwide starting August 1, 2013.

China’s National People’s Congress adopted the “Decision on Revising the Labor Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China (Order No.73 of the PRC President)” on December 28, 2012, which provides that no entities or individuals are allowed to engage in the labor dispatching business without an administrative license, and that applications for such licenses shall be filed with the relevant labor authorities.

With a view to reduce administrative burdens on importers and exporters, as well as expedite customs clearance, China’s General Administrative of Customs (GAC) introduced the “Paperless Customs Clearance Pilot Reform” on August 1 last year, which allows customs declaration information to be stored and transferred through computers and other electronic media, and be automatically reviewed by customs.