Science and Technology Daily: Guangzhou Development District Upgrades Fast-Track Approval Measures for Industrial Projects

Recently, the Several Measures of the Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District for Promoting the High-Quality Development of Approval Services for Industrial Projects (hereinafter referred to as "Industrial Fast-Track Approval 4.0") were officially released. Comprising 30 reform measures, the new policy focuses on common challenges in areas such as environmental protection and urban planning during project preparation. By institutionalizing proven service practices, it advances reform from "isolated breakthroughs" to "systematic integration," and from "problem-solving" to "problem prevention," offering enterprises full-lifecycle service support.
In its practice of advancing approval reforms, the district has consistently adopted a targeted approach, starting with specific issues. It previously introduced a series of fast-track industrial approval policies comprising 28 reform measures. These efforts established a cross-stage, systematic approval service mechanism and created a set of benchmark cases for improving the speed and efficiency of industrial project approvals.
Industrial Fast-Track Approval 4.0 further streamlines procedures to accelerate project construction. For example, the district now offers pre-land acquisition approval services, allowing projects to obtain multiple permits simultaneously—including land use permits, construction planning permits, and construction permits—immediately after acquiring land. Post-acquisition approval processes have also been optimized for construction permits and road access openings, cutting application times by more than three months. Furthermore, pre-acceptance approval procedures have been improved by specifying four scenarios exempt from planning adjustment applications and simplifying the prerequisites for planning compliance verification, saving an additional one to two months.
Streamlining application materials minimizes business costs. The 4.0 policy expands the scope of "full-trust" approvals for planning permits, simplifies the materials required for construction permits, and cuts down on the documentation needed for road access openings. Additionally, the district will leverage artificial intelligence and other digital tools to assist enterprises with form-filling, further driving down administrative costs.
Industrial space serves as the soil for industrial clusters to take root and grow. Industrial Fast-Track Approval 4.0 supports the upgrading and renovation of industrial carriers, allowing the inclusion of supporting living-service facilities within industrial land. It also encourages the construction of publicly accessible, all-weather covered corridors and exempts mechanized multi-level parking facilities from planning approval procedures.
To promote the integrated development of ecology and industry, the policy encourages enterprises to independently dispose of and utilize hazardous waste while strengthening the coordination between environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and pollutant discharge permits. Simultaneously, the policy aligns with the environmental management requirements for water purification plants and the Dongjiang River Basin. By optimizing the approval processes for industrial wastewater treatment and discharge destinations, it addresses production constraints for enterprises while ensuring river water quality standards are strictly met.
(By Ye Qing, Chang Ran, Wu Xiaojun)