• To standardize the handling of social insurance, optimize social insurance services, ensure the security of social insurance funds, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of employers and individuals, and promote social equity, the State Council has formulated the first administrative regulation in the field of social insurance handling, the Regulations on Social Insurance Administrative Services, which will come into force on 1^st December 2023.
• The Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Emergency Management on Further Strengthening Work Safety Reporting aims to further strengthen the work of reporting on safety production, encourage the public to participate in reporting major accidents and violations of work safety and standardize the handling of reports by the emergency management department.
• In order to promote the realization of China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets, control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activities, encourage greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction behaviors, standardize the national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading and related activities, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and  the State Administration for Market Regulation has jointly gazetted the Measures for the Management of Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading (Trial).
• Updated Minimum Wage Standard of Shandong Province, Yunnan Province, Tianjin Municipality, Guangxi Autonomous Region and Gansu Province.

Labour

< Regulations on Social Insurance Administrative Services >

Health and Safety

< The Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Emergency Management on Further Strengthening Work Safety Reporting >

Environment

< Measures for the Management of Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading (Trial) >

Minimum Wage Standard Update

Shandong Province, Yunnan Province, Tianjin Municipality, Guangxi Autonomous Region and Gansu Province

Labour

1. < Regulations on Social Insurance Administrative Services > (2023-12-01)

The Regulations on Social Insurance Administrative Services (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) were adopted at the 11^th Executive Meeting of the State Council on 21^st July 2023 and will come into force on 1^st December 2023.

The Regulations consist of 7 chapters and 63 articles, mainly stipulating the following contents:

Firstly, to closely adhere to the Social Insurance Law and clarify the scope of the Regulations. This Regulations are applicable to the handling of basic endowment insurance, basic medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance and other social insurance stipulated by the State.

Secondly, to clarify the responsibilities of the handling agencies and strengthen service management supervision. To regulate the handling agencies to handle the registration and transfer of social insurance relationships, to record and store social insurance handling information, and timely to verify and pay social insurance benefits. To require agencies to standardize social insurance handling services and management, and to clarify the specific content and requirements of social insurance handling supervision.

Thirdly, to reduce the proof materials and clarify the processing time limit for handling insurance activities. To strengthen information sharing between relevant departments and handling agencies, to clarify relevant proof materials for enjoying social insurance benefits, to shorten the time limit for handling social insurance, to clarify the procedures for transferring and accepting social insurance relationships, to establish and improve the settlement system for medical expenses in different areas, and to require handling agencies to strengthen the construction of barrier-free environment to provide convenience for the elderly, disabled, and others.

Fourthly, to improve the management system and strengthen supervision measures for social insurance. The handling agencies are required to negotiate and sign service agreements with eligible entities to standardize social insurance services; to establish a social insurance credit management system; to carry out supervision and inspection of operators and social insurance service organizations; Financial departments and audit organs are required to implement supervision in accordance with the law. The competent departments are required to unblock supervision channels and the handling agencies are required to disclose relevant information.

Fifthly, to clarify legal responsibilities and severely punish illegal and criminal acts for social insurance activities. Corresponding legal responsibilities have been established for illegal activities such as defrauding social insurance fund expenditures, concealing, transferring, encroaching, and misappropriating social insurance funds, or illegally investing and operating.

Health and Safety

1. < The Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Emergency Management on Further Strengthening Work Safety Reporting > (2023-10-24)

The Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Emergency Management on Further Strengthening Work Safety Reporting (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions) were issued by the National Ministry of Emergency Management on 24^th October 2023, and had been come into effective immediately. The relevant content of the Opinions is as follows:

1.The Opinions consists of four parts and seventeen items, proposing requirements for the reception and transfer of reporting, acceptance of reporting, verification and processing, response feedback, reward for reporting, confidentiality management, guidance and supervision, data application, and implementation of corporate main responsibilities etc.

2.The Opinions emphasize the establishment and improvement of a sound mechanism for reporting work safety, encouraging the reporting of major hidden accidents and work safety violations, promoting social governance of work safety, facilitating the implementation of work safety responsibilities, and preventing and reducing accidents.

3.The Opinions propose to promote the establishment and improvement of efficient and smooth reporting channels for work safety, to deepen information empowerment, and comprehensively build the "Internet plus reporting" model; Fully leverage the exemplary role of reporting rewards, enhance the enthusiasm of the public and employees of production and business units to participate in reporting work, and create a good environment of social governance.

4.The Opinions clearly requires emergency management departments at all levels to smooth the channels for safety production reporting, to improve the mechanism for receiving and transferring reports, and to organize inspections in accordance with the law and regulations after accepting reports.

5.The Opinions also makes provisions for protecting the information security of whistleblowers and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of production and business units and employees.

Environment

1. < Measures for the Management of Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading (Trial) > (2023-10-19)

The Measures for the Management of Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading (Trial) (hereinafter referred to as the Measures) has been jointly gazetted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the State Administration for Market Regulation on 19^th October 2023 and has come into force since the same date, the main contents are as follows:

1.The Measures serve as the foundational system to ensure the orderly operation of the national voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction trading market, comprising 8 chapters and 51 articles, provides regulations for every phase of voluntary emission reduction trading and related activities, delineates the rights, obligations, and legal responsibilities of project owners, validation and verification institutions, registration agencies, trading institutions, and management responsibilities of all level of ecological and environmental authorities and market supervision departments.

2.With the fundamental purpose of serving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the Measures adhere to the principles of “Information Transparency and Enhanced Supervision”, “Unified Management and Coordination Strengthening”, “Solid foundations and Gradual Progress”, “Domestic Focus and International Integration”, highlights the attribute of "voluntary", and strengthens the role of the main body of the market.

3.The following conditions shall be satisfied for application for the registration of GHG emission projects:

• With “authenticity”, “uniqueness” and “additionality”
• Belong to a nature supported by the project methodology issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment
• Began construction after 8 November 2012
• Fulfils other conditions specified by Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

4.The Measures have clearly stipulated the handling of historical issues, voluntary GHG emission reduction projects that have been filed with the competent authorities for national climate change strategies prior to 14 March 2017 should be re-registered under this Measures; the GHG emission reduction amounts which have been filed before may continue to be used in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations.

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

www.intertek.com.cn