Sui Gong Ji Jin Zhong Xin [2020] No.10

To all employers contributing to the Housing Provident Fund,

　　In order to implement directives of the State Council regarding reforms that streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services, and to improve the business environment, pursuant to relevant plans by higher-level authorities regarding online transactions, transactions at the nearest service branch, and one-time transactions, and to ensure that housing provident fund transactions in Guangzhou require no more than one in-person visit, the following relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

　　1. Creating a Smart Housing Provident Fund to Enable Online Processing of Several Institutional Transactions

　　1.1. Employers may carry out housing provident fund registrations and contributions through the Guangzhou “Business One Link” for Starting a Business platform. In order to allow enterprises to carry out housing provident fund transactions more conveniently, newly incorporated enterprises may provide information related to housing provident fund registration and contributions when providing information related to their incorporation on the platform (https://air.scjgj.gz.gov.cn/). Once registration authorities approve the incorporation of the enterprise, such authorities will concurrently complete housing provident fund registration procedures for the enterprise by means of data sharing. Enterprises will not be required to carry out these procedures at a physical branch of the Housing Provident Fund Management Center.

　　1.2. “Zero footwork” required for routine institutional housing provident fund transactions. Employers that have activated the “Online Service Hall” service may conveniently process multiple routine transactions directly through the official website of the Housing Provident Fund Management Center (http://gjj.gz.gov.cn/) without the need to visit a physical branch, including housing provident fund contributions (including back payments), the establishment, merger, freezing or unfreezing of employees’ individual accounts, information changes, and housing provident fund annual adjustments.

　　2. Delegating Authority to Process Transactions to Allow Employers to Carry Out Transactions at the Nearest Service Branch

　　2.1. All transactions related to housing provident fund contributions can now be processed universally across the city. Employers may, in accordance with the principles of proximity and convenience, opt to process provident fund contributions, change their information and add/delete employees from their records at any of the 13 service branches of the Housing Provident Fund Management Center or the 439 bank branches authorized to carry out such transactions, without having to visit the service branch where their accountswere originally opened. All service branches of the Housing Provident Fund Management Center now process transactions such as the issuance of institutional contributions certificates, applications for different contribution rates in a particular year, and applications for lower contributions rates or payment deferral, providing greater convenience to employers.

　　2.2. Transaction procedures have been streamlined to ensure that employers need not make more than one trip to physical service branches. When removing an employee from their records, employers are not required to transfer the frozen accounts of their employees to the centralizedrepository of frozen accounts. When adding employees to their records, employers are not required to first make a “local transfer”, and may instead directly unfreeze and transfer the account of the employee to the company and thereafter continue making contributions. The original tri-partyAuthorized Withholding Agreement between an employer, a bank and the Housing Provident Fund Management Center has been streamlined into a two-party agreement between an employer and the Housing Provident Fund Management Center. Employers may sign, alter or cancel an Authorized Withholding Agreement in one sitting at any of the service branches of the Housing Provident Fund Management Center. Employers may also apply for regular remittance services where housing provident fund contributions withheld from their employees’ wages are transferred on a fixed date each month. The Housing Provident Fund Management Center will automatically deduct relevant funds on this date without the need for employers to make a manual application each month.

　　3. Further Reducing the List of Required Documents

　　3.1. Documents required for applications by enterprise to reduce contribution rates and defer payments have been simplified, while time required for review and approval has been reduced. Where an enterprise facing operational difficulties applies for reduction of the housing provident fund contribution rate (to a level lower than 5%) or payment deferral, only an employer-employee consensus approved by a general meeting of employees or employee representatives is required. Audit reports for the past 3 years are no longer required. In addition, time required for review and approval has reduced from 20 working days to 10 working days.

　　3.2. Documents to be submitted at physical service counters have been reduced. Electronic documentation systems will be fully utilized to streamline the list of documents required for various transactions and greatly reduce the storage of hardcopy documents. When employers making housing provident fund contributions carry out transactions such as registrations, establishment of personal accounts, and making changes to their records, counter service staff will have already imaged submitted documents for storage as electronic documents. Photocopies of required documents are no longer required to be submitted.

　　Guangzhou Housing Provident Fund Management Center

　　February 25, 2020