“It is more convenient to handle the approval procedures of rural residence land after the village and town’s government was authorized to deal this issue. Now just 1-2 working days, I got the final approval. If followed with earlier schedule, it would cost not less than one week and I would have to come to the central city’s departments to do it.” Xie Lin- a villager of Xingning town, Zixing city, who just finished the approval procedures said gladly to the reporters.

It was introduced by the staffs of the forestry station of Qiangjiang town that 54% approval steps and 50% time would be saved to get the approval for temporary forestry land less than 2mu followed with current new policy. Along with the administration authorities issued to the villages and towns, the working efficiencies were upgraded for simpler procedures need to be followed. At the meantime, the cost of administration was decreased accordingly.

On August 7, 2013, “comments on further streamline administration and institute decentralization to expand more power for towns (trial)” was released by Zixing Municipal Party Committee and Zixing Government. Xingning, Sandu, Miaojiang, and Qiangjiang were selected as the first four pilot towns to carry out this solution. 52 administration authorities were issued to the towns with different forms as mandatory administration, institution extension, simplifies procedure, etc. Authorized with those authorities, the towns were with more privileges to carry out some development policies, town’s development plan, approval of projects, social management, comprehensive enforcement, financial division and other aspects. On this point, powers of the town, financial authority, management authority and personnel authority were expanded accordingly to the town.

Under current situation, the villages and towns were placed to an embarrassing situation that they were bared with higher responsibility but granted with less authority, and were issued with more tasks but with less budget, which greatly restrict the further development of the villages and towns. On this point, streamline administration and institute decentralization to expand more power for towns was an important measure figured out on the basis of Zixing city’s practical condition. It was helpful to promote the function transformation, overall development of urban and rural areas, and upgrading of infrastructure construction, public service and modern civilization in rural area.

Currently, the 52 administration authorities issued to the villages and towns were mainly for the departments concerned for land, forestry, reform and development, housing, planning, real estate, security and supervision, etc. More authorities would be issued to the towns and villages on the basis of practical working condition in future. The four pilot towns would carry out this pilot work for 2 years. Once finished this period and all conditions would be available later, more towns would compete to get the authorization to promote this issue gradually.