China Policy Brief
March 24, 2015
Comprehensive Pilot Scheme for
1ational 1ew-Type Urbanization
Jiamin Liu
Economist
China Unit, Research Department-Asia
Mizuho Research Institute
03-3591-1384
[email protected]
[Summary]
○ On February 4, 2015, eleven government agencies including the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the
Comprehensive Pilot Scheme for 1ational 1ew-Type Urbanization (国家新型城镇化综合试点方案 in
Chinese) (hereinafter referred to as the “Pilot Scheme”).
○ The Chinese government is promoting “people-oriented urbanization” (with the aim of eliminating the
gap in access to public services based on hukou (household) registration) under the 1ational 1ew-Type
Urbanization Plan (2014-2020), announced in March 2014. However, data reveals wide variance in the
gap between urbanization rates measured on the basis of permanent residency as compared to the basis of
hukou registration, with Jiangsu at 7% and Anhui at 25% in 2013. As described above, the economic and
social environment for urbanization varies depending on the regions, and China requires multiple
replicable experiences and models of urbanization on a nationwide basis. The Pilot Scheme has been
designed to create such experiences and models.
○ The Pilot Scheme comprises an “Overall Implementation Scheme” and “Implementation Scheme for Pilot
Regions (Outline)”. A total of 62 cities (and towns) in addition to the entire provinces of Jiangsu and
Anhui have been designated pilot regions (see paragraph 2 overleaf), with the period spanning the end of
2014 through the end of 2017 for the “accumulation of replicable experiences” and the period spanning
2018 through the end of 2020 for “a nationwide rollout of successful examples (of urbanization).” The
Overall Implementation Scheme establishes five “major tasks” for the pilot regions, namely: (1) the
establishment of cost-sharing mechanisms for the settlement of rural migrants in cities (including a
review of hukou registration policies, the introduction of a permanent residency permit system that will
give rural migrants an access to basic public services, and the establishment of mechanisms for sharing
the cost within local governments, enterprises and individuals, etc.); (2) the establishment of diverse and
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sustainable mechanisms for financing and investment (including the disclosure of the balance sheets of
local governments, the enhancement of issuing and managing of local government bonds, and the
promotion of the construction and operation of public facilities through public-private partnerships (PPP),
etc.); (3) the reform of the rural dwelling land system (including the promotion of a central
government-approved “Pilot Scheme for the Reform of the Rural Dwelling Land System” etc.); (4) the
establishment of new models for administrative management (including the conversion to cities of towns
that met certain conditions and the promotion of the delegation of authority to town governments, etc.);
(5) the reform of systems and mechanisms for promoting urbanization (including the administrative
unification of urban and rural areas and reforms contributing to the formation of eco-city, etc.).
○ The Pilot Scheme includes several “related policies” aimed at expediting its implementation as per below.
•
Establishing a system of fiscal transfers between central and local governments taking
“migration”
into consideration
•
Strengthening financial supports
•
Enhancing the support for the vocational skills training to rural migrants, the construction of
municipal housing and public facilities, and industry promotion, etc.
In terms of “institutional arrangements” , the plan calls for the adoption of measures to promote
inter-ministerial coordination on major policies and to enhance the follow-up and supervision of pilot
regions, etc.
[Structure (Outline)]
Comprehensive Pilot Scheme for National New-Type Urbanization
(Fa Gai Gui Hua [2014] No. 2960)
Enacted: December 29, 2014; Released: February 4, 2015
1. Guidelines and basic principles
Under the guidelines of the promotion of the 1ational 1ew-Type Urbanization Plan (2014-2020) focused
on “people-oriented urbanization,” and providing experiences and models (of urbanization) for replication
on a nationwide basis, this Pilot Scheme is to be implemented under the basic principles of piloting
innovative systems (of urbanization) in selected regions, maximizing the autonomy and creativity of local
governments, formulating and implementing pilot Scheme that correspond to conditions in the regions,
and promoting the rollout of successful examples (of urbanization) identified in annual performance
evaluations.
2. Pilot regions and periods
The pilot program will be initiated in 62 cities (3 cities with provincial level status, 7 cities where the
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provincial governments are located, 25 cities in prefecture level, 25 cities in county level, and 2
designated towns) under the jurisdiction of 29 provinces, municipalities and/or autonomous regions in
addition to the entire provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, with the period spanning the end of 2014 through
the end of 2017 for the “accumulation of replicable experiences” and the period spanning 2018 through
the end of 2020 for “a nationwide rollout of successful examples (of urbanization)” .
3. Major tasks for pilot regions
(1) The establishment of cost-sharing mechanisms for the settlement of rural migrants in cities: a review
of hukou registration policies; the introduction of a permanent residency permit system that will give
rural migrants an access to basic public services; the establishment of mechanisms for sharing the cost
within local governments, enterprises and individuals, etc.
(2) The establishment of diverse and sustainable mechanisms for financing and investment: the disclosure
of the balance sheets of local governments; the enhancement of issuing and managing of local
government bonds; the promotion of the construction and operation of public facilities through
public-private partnerships (PPP), etc.
(3) The reform of the rural dwelling land system: the promotion of a central government-approved “Pilot
Scheme for the Reform of the Rural Dwelling Land System”, etc.
(4) The establishment of new models for administrative management: the conversion to cities of towns
that met certain conditions and the promotion of the delegation of authority to town governments, etc.
(5) The reform of systems and mechanisms for promoting urbanization: the administrative unification of
urban and rural areas and reforms contributing to the formation of eco-city, etc.
4. Related policies
Establishing a system of fiscal transfers between central and local governments taking “migration” into
consideration; strengthening financial supports; enhancing the support for the vocational skills training
to rural migrants; the construction of municipal housing and public facilities; industry promotion, etc.
5. Institutional arrangements
(1) Organizational enhancements: promote inter-ministerial coordination on major policies by holding
joint inter-ministerial meetings; strengthen guidance to pilot regions, etc.
(2) Supervision and evaluation: follow-up and supervision of pilot regions; annual performance
evaluations; periodic adjustment of pilot regions, etc.
* Only the Overall Implementation Scheme is described here. For a complete version of the Pilot Scheme (in Chinese),
please view the following link (accessed on March 24, 2015):
http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/zcfb/zcfbtz/201502/t20150204_663078.html
● This publication is written for the purpose of providing readers with information and is in no way meant to solicit transactions. The information contained herein was translated by MHBK using information
sources deemed reliable by MHRI, but this does not warrant its accuracy, reliability or integrity. Please also note that the contents of this publication may be subject to change without prior notice.
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