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Green Channel Leads to an FDI Spring

Despite the winter’s chill in Beijing and an even more chilling world economic outlook that has all but frozen liquidity and investor confidence, optimism reigned during the 2008 Beijing Investment Consulting Day, held December 10 at the Capital Hotel.

Hosted by the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau (BIPB), the activity highlighted opportunities for post-Olympic investment, regional planning and investment-seeking projects. Its organizers provided counselling on policies, procedures of company establishment and other matters related to investing in Beijing.

“Today’s scene is very encouraging,” said Zhou Xu, deputy director of the BIPB. “Our investment consultation day was a new initiative. We started the Green Channel six years ago to optimize our investment environment. Today, we are trying a new approach: that is, to create a new and larger platform for investment service.”

Based on the Beijing Foreign Investment Service Centre that was established in 1988, the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau, since its founding in 2002, has become an institution that specializes in providing comprehensive services for investors to Beijing.

It was also in 2002 that the Green Channel for checking and approving investment applications was set up under the BIPB. The Green Channel offers free consultancies, on behalf of the government, for foreign investors, and also one-stop company establishment services and other business services that can make an investor’s life in Beijing much easier.

“The BIPB Green Channel has been warmly hailed by investors. In the past, the procedure of company set-up examinations and approvals could take a long time, sometimes months. But now, ten days is enough,” said project manager Song Yue from a consulting agency at the event, whose clients are foreign-invested companies.

Investors can get all needed services via the Green Channel, beginning with answers about investment policies, rules and the investment environment, and they can also get assistance in finding suitable projects and business partners. Consultancy services are augmented by brokerage services for handling matters such as document reviews and submissions and renewals of registration certificates and business licenses. After a company is set up, it can still count on the Green Channel for help in handling operational problems.

Over the past six years, the BIPB has enhanced its Green Channel expertise by establishing separate service windows serving the various needs of investors. They include the Closer Economic Partnership Agreements between Beijing and Hong Kong and Macao, fixed-asset investments, foreign research and development institutions and Taiwan projects, and a special window for investments from outside Beijing.

Since its establishment, Green Channel staffers have handled more than 60,000 inquiries and helped 330 foreign enterprises complete deals in Beijing, involving US$3.7 billion in value. During the first eleven months of 2008, the Green Channel handled 11,547 inquiries, helping 37 foreign enterprises complete deals in Beijing with capital valued at US$517.5 million.

During the last 30 years, Beijing’s investment environment has improved a lot, enjoying broader approaches of advisory and mounting figures of foreign investment. Therefore, the BIPB has decided to make adjustments to its service model, according to Zhou Xu.

“We cannot just wait for investors to inquire, but should reach out, establishing larger consultancy platforms together with government agencies and social institutions,” said Zhou.

In the future, the BIPB will enhance the authority of Green Channel through more collaboration with government departments in charge of investment examination and approval, so that it can play a bigger role in the investment promoting function of the government, said Zhou.

The efforts were not just “love of one side,” but got warm responses from enterprises.

“We think it’s great that the government volunteers to assist us with consultancies. Sometimes we have problems and do not know who to turn to; so it’s really like a timely rain,” said Wei Xiaobing, assistant general-manager of an electromechanical company in Beijing. “I asked the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Personnel about some hukou (residential status) matters affecting our high-tech personnel and got answers about relevant policies and possible approaches toward their handling. They were very helpful,” said Wei. 

 Xie Dong, vice-chairman of the Fujian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, is optimistic about the investment environment in Beijing, and is planning to invest in a commercial project near a subway exit. “I have consulted the Beijing Municipal Construction Committee and I feel that the policy guidance is very comprehensive. That can save me from detours. I will continue to stay in touch with the Green Channel to make full use of it,” said Xie.

The Investment Promotion Bureau of Tongzhou District is surrounded by crowds. “Many people come to inquire, not only investors, but also law firms. There are also people from other provinces and foreign chambers of commerce. They are very interested in the opportunities after the Olympics in Beijing, and are keen to know about the potential for various districts. Our own policy consultancy event is insufficient to meet this task on such a scale,” said Shi Yuanyuan, director of the business invitation department. She held a thick pile of forms in her hand that recorded all the information and content of inquires of the participants, so that follow-up services can be offered.

让“绿色通道”通往投资的春天
——北京市投资促进局打造投资服务新平台

文/薛丽娟

2008年12月10日，首都大酒店二层宴会厅，“庆改革开放三十周年，聚焦后奥运投资热点——2008北京投资咨询日”活动现场人声鼎沸，热火的氛围与外面冬日的寒冷形成鲜明的对比。

这是北京市投资促进局在开通“绿色通道”，为投资者在北京投资提供免费政策咨询和企业设立审批代办手续6年后，又一次创新服务模式，为投资者打造了一个在北京投资服务的新平台。

“走出去”的“绿色通道”

“庆改革开放三十周年，聚焦后奥运投资热点——2008北京投资咨询日”活动，是北京市首次举办的专业化、全开放式的投资咨询服务活动，是北京市投资促进局贯彻落实科学发展观，边学边查，边整边改的具体改进措施之一。

咨询日当天，北京市副市长苟仲文在开幕式致辞中，重点介绍了奥运后北京投资热点和北京应对全球金融危机采取的重要举措，坚定了投资者对北京的投资信心。

现场设置了政府委办局，区县和开发区、科技园区，政府投资项目审批绿色通道及社会专业咨询机构四个咨询板块，面向广大企业和投资者，搭建了一个包括市区两级、政府部门和专业机构，涵盖投资发展全过程、宽领域的咨询服务平台。

北京市发展和改革委员会、北京市商务局、北京市工业促进局、北京市工商行政管理局、北京市人事局、北京市劳动和社会保障局、北京市国家税务局、北京市地方税务局、北京市规划委员会、北京市建设委员会、北京市科学技术委员会、北京市国土资源局和北京市外汇管理局等市政府有关部门都在现场设立了咨询服务台，给投资者做了专业化、权威性的咨询和解答。

现场咨询从上午10点一直持续到下午4点，28家驻京外国商会、各省市自治区驻京商协会与1000多名企业家穿梭在各个咨询部门的台前，寻找关于自己投资疑问的解答。据会后统计，当天投资者共咨询各类问题1000多个。产业结构调整、投资方向引导、规划政策、税收政策及企业设立程序等成为本次投资咨询日的热点问题。一位德国企业驻京代表表示，通过投资咨询日活动，以往需要跑多个委办局才能了解清楚的问题现在都可以“一站式”解决了。

听到企业对投资咨询日的认可和欢迎，周旭副局长介绍说：“投资咨询日是我们第一次举办，是一个新的探索，在新形势下，我们越来越认识到，不能固守“绿色通道”等投资者上门咨询的‘窗口式’工作方式，必须走出去，联合政府部门和社会专业机构建立更大的咨询服务平台。”

“一站式”解答千家企业投资疑问

“我们企业是湖南企业协会的会员，收到了投资咨询日的请柬。觉得这个事情很好，有政府部门主动上门，为我们提供咨询服务。而我们恰好有问题需要解决却一时找不到解决的途径，这真的就像及时雨。”参加咨询的北京鲁能恒信机电设备工程有限公司总经理助理魏笑冰说。

“我在北京市人事局咨询台咨询了关于公司高新技术人员户口进京问题，他们详细告诉了我相关政策和解决这个问题的途径。我觉得很有收获。”魏笑冰说。

北京福建商会副会长谢东通对北京的投资环境很乐观，计划2009年在北京一个地铁口的商业项目上投资，“我刚刚在北京市建设委员会做了一些开发申请方面的咨询。感觉这个政策指导非常全面，避免了我们走弯路。这比单纯发点资料的那种会议实用多了。我以后会继续关注‘绿色通道’，享用这个投资便利渠道。”

北京市通州区投资促进局的展台前，围了很多人，招商部主任石园园热情地解答每一个咨询者的问题。“来咨询的人比较多。除了投资商，还有律师事务所等社会咨询服务机构，国内其它省市及国外的商会的代表。他们都关心后奥运时期北京的发展机遇。也想了解各个区县存在哪些发展机会。我们自己区的政策咨询会难以达到这个层次和规模。”

“从咨询日当天的反馈来看，投资者很欢迎咨询日这种服务形式，我们初步计划以后根据实际情况，多举办这样的活动，希望能集中解决投资者的疑问。”周旭说。

“绿色通道”6年“绿树成荫”

位于北京市东城区朝阳门北大街富华大厦的北京市投资促进局成立于2002年12月，它的前身是1988年4月成立的北京市外商投资服务中心，如今已成为北京市政府为境内外投资者来京投资提供综合服务的专门机构。

2002年初，按照时任北京市市长刘淇的指示，北京市成立了市政府投资项目审批绿色通道，通道设在北京市投资促进局，主要职能是代表政府为外国投资者在北京投资提供免费政策咨询和企业设立审批代办手续。“‘绿色通道’设立以来受到了企业的欢迎和肯定，因为在这之前，企业的审批程序很麻烦，要经历很长的时间，有时候甚至要跑好几个月，而现在十天之内就能完成审批。”北京大思潮顾问有限公司研究部项目经理宋跃对“绿色通道”设立后的变化颇有感触。

“绿色通道”提供的服务主要包括三个方面，一是前期投资咨询服务。包括政策法规咨询、投资环境介绍、招商项目推介、合作伙伴寻找；二是中期审批代办服务，指导和代办企业设立及变更事宜；三是后期经营保障服务。

6年来，北京市投资促进局在“绿色通道”的基础上，又陆续开通了“台资项目审批绿色通道”、“外省市自治区在京投资绿色通道”，设立了“CEPA咨询服务窗口”、“外资研发机构咨询服务窗口”、“固定资产投资咨询服务窗口”等专业咨询服务窗口。服务功能不断完善，服务领域更加广阔，服务更加细化和专业化。

6年来，“绿色通道”累计咨询6万多人次，代理外资企业设立339家，项目投资总额37亿美元。仅2008年全年，“绿色通道”共受理投资咨询14652人次，代理外资企业设立和变更40家，项目投资总额5.181亿美元。

“绿色通道”已成为境内外投资者来京投资咨询的“首访之站”、项目审批服务的“虚拟大厅”、投资信息的“集散中心”。

凤凰鸣矣，于彼高岗。梧桐生矣，于彼朝阳。——《诗经·大雅·卷阿》

人们常用梧桐和凤凰这对品格高洁美好的组合来形容招商引资工作，“栽下梧桐树引来金凤凰”，好的投资环境才能吸引资金。投资促进是一项与国际接轨，有着丰富的内涵和广阔外延的新事业，创新是投资促进事业持续发展的动力和源泉。北京市投资促进局在新年伊始探索并实践更为有效的投资促进模式和方式，不断提高投资促进工作实效，促进北京利用外资水平的不断提高，无异于栽下了梧桐树，收获的必将是一个金凤齐鸣的灿烂春天。