THE city’s market supervision administration released 18 supportive measures Friday to assist local individually owned businesses in getting through the difficulties resulting from the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The 18 measures have been formulated based on the results of a survey commissioned by the enterprise registration bureau under the market supervision administration, the Daily Sunshine reported yesterday.

The survey results show that about 70 percent of individually owned businesses have resumed work in the city, with farm produce wholesalers and retailers having the highest percentage of reopened businesses. Service sector businesses including caterers, beauty salons, clothing retailers, tourism agencies and accommodations as well as entertainment venues are most affected by the epidemic outbreak. The citywide survey also found that 90 percent of local individually owned businesses do not have online operations, resulting in a plummet in their profits during the epidemic outbreak.

The 18 measures have been adopted to address a number of difficulties commonly faced by individually owned businesses such as fewer customers, rent pressure, disrupted logistics and transportation, as well as shortages of epidemic prevention materials and labor.

According to the measures, self-employed individuals are exempt from registering with the market authority before selling agricultural products and other daily necessities during the epidemic prevention and control period. They are allowed to engage in labor activities that provide convenience to the public without applying for a business license, for a limited time.

The market authority will accelerate the business registration process for those individually owned businesses that are required to operate with a license in accordance with the law.

The streamlined business registration requirements aim at encouraging more self-employed individuals to carry out business operations.

Well-known trademarks of businesses that have been greatly affected by the epidemic can be used for pledge financing. Individually owned businesses that have obtained trademark pledge financing loans will receive interest subsidies from the city’s special funds.

Privately owned businesses have also been put in contact with reliable suppliers of anti-epidemic materials. The city’s privately owned business association has also contacted large transportation companies, which have agreed to offer special charter services to help people return to work to address labor shortages.  

(Wei Jie)