An example of market's role

Days after Premier Li Keqiang questioned the reasonability of the government-led qualification authentication for manicurists, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security recently brought to a halt the official certification for the trivial profession.

The ministry also vowed to resolutely stop various kinds of exams, authentication and certificate issuance related to professional qualification under its jurisdiction which the State Council has already decided to cancel.

"Manicurists now still need to gain their qualification certification from the government and the profession is even divided by the government into five grades. Is there a need for such kind of certification to be left to the discretion of the government?" Li raised this question at a mid-September State Council meeting. "The qualification evaluation of such a trivial profession should be up to the market and the government should center energy on medical cosmetology qualification in which some major malpractices have caused more significant and worse consequences."

The swift action of the ministry can serve as a good example that there is really no insurmountable obstacle on the way to the simplification of procedures and the delegation of some administrative powers to the market if the relevant departments do intend.

Since taking office in early 2013, Li's government has accelerated steps toward transforming government functions and delegating some central government powers to lower-level governments and market players as part of its broad efforts to give the market a decisive role and inject new vitality into the country's economy. A number of items have already been exempted from seeking government approval.

The manicure case manifests that relevant State departments and local governments should immediately bring the items still needing their approval under scrutiny and voluntarily cancel unreasonable ones, instead of holding a passive attitude or only responding to the top leadership's mandate in one case.