The 2012 Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group Conference Raised the Curtain in Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel Shanghai

Serve “Innovation-Driven Transformation and Development” and Enhance the Comprehensive Competitiveness of Ports in Shanghai

By Hu Hongrui, Shao Yongbiao from the General Office of the Shanghai Port Administration Office

　　The 2012 Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group Conference raised the curtain in Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel Shanghai on the afternoon on February 8. Yang Xiong, Standing Member of the Municipal Party Committee, First Deputy Mayor of Shanghai and Deputy Head of Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group, attended the conference and made a speech. He pointed out that currently, the global financial situation is complicated, uncertainties still exist for economic recovery, and China’s economy is faced with downward pressure, bringing huge pressure and challenges to Shanghai on promoting “innovation-driven transformation and development”. This year is critical for Shanghai to fulfill its objectives for the “12th Five Year Plan”. Shanghai is a pivotal city with high degree of export-oriented economy. He hopes that all ports and inspection units in Shanghai would fulfill their duties with strategic vision, open mind, innovative concept and collaborative spirit.

　　Yang Xiong demanded that all port affairs units in Shanghai should focus on the critical objective of constructing an international shipping center and international trade center, and make innovation on the mechanism of customs clearance. More efforts should be made on constructing “single windows”, integrating the internal monitoring demands of the government, and optimizing the monitoring procedures of customs clearance, so as to provide trade enterprises with integrated and non-stop convenient service. In recent years, the port inspection units of Shanghai have adopted several measures according to the requirements of superior government authorities on systematic management of enterprises, online inspection of electronic port clearance, pilot program of paperless customs clearance, electronic application for international navigation ships and construction for corporate credit system, and all of these measures have achieved remarkable results. Secondly, further promote the construction for the “4 centers” and make breakthrough on convenient trade service. On the one hand, accelerate the construction of informatization of customs clearance, intensify the pilot program of paperless customs clearance and further expand the pilot program of “twice declarations for one bill of entry”. On the other hand, strengthen the construction for corporate credit system, make improvement on the risk management of customs clearance and lay foundation for paperless customs clearance. Thirdly, provide good monitoring service to enterprises and help them to cope with the tough situations nowadays. In the past year, ports in Shanghai have made breakthrough on building a national innovative demonstration zone of import and an international trade settlement center, exploring new business patterns, such as bonded delivery, financing and leasing of futures, bonded registration of international navigation ships, and building functional projects centering on the “4 centers” of international transit transportation under the support of the state government authorities and the inspection units of the Central Government in Shanghai. Yang Xiong reiterated that in this year, Shanghai would start the pilot program of tax refunding port transportation. All port units should actively implement these functional programs and provide good auxiliary port monitoring service.

　　Zhou Bo, Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Government and Secretary-General of Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group, hosted the conference. Zhang Chaomei, Director of Shanghai Port Administration Office, made brief reports on the port affairs in Shanghai in 2011 and the office’s working arrangement in 2012. Officials of Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, Construction and Traffic Commission, Business Commission, Economy and Informatization Commission, port inspection units, Pudong New Area Government and Hongkou District Government made speeches and communicated to each other on the conference.

　　This conference examined and adopted Shanghai Free Trade Zones Administration and Shanghai Shipping Exchange as new members of Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group. Currently, there are 23 members in the leading group, so as to further enhance the comprehensive competitiveness and service capability of Shanghai to build itself into an international shipping center.

The 2012 Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group Conference raised the curtain in Radisson Plaza Xing Guo Hotel Shanghai.

Yang Xiong, Standing Member of the Municipal Party Committee, First Deputy Mayor of Shanghai and Deputy Head of Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group, attended the conference and made a speech.

Zhou Bo, Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Government and Secretary-General of Shanghai Port Affairs Leading Group, hosted the conference.

Zhang Chaomei, Director of Shanghai Port Administration Office, made brief reports on the port affairs in Shanghai in 2011 and the office’s working arrangement in 2012.

Officials of Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, Construction and Traffic Commission, Business Commission, Economy and Informatization Commission, port inspection units, Pudong New Area Government and Hongkou District Government made speeches and communicated to each other on the conference.