Ⅰ. Reducing Operating Costs for Business
1. Reducing factor costs of water, electricity and natural gas. We will continue to implement the policies and clauses relevant to reducing factor prices of water, electricity and natural gas in the Implementation Opinions of Wuxi Municipal Committee of the CPC and Wuxi Municipal People's Government on Reducing the Costs of the Real Economy to Promote the Steady and Healthy Development of the Economy (Released by Wuxi Municipal Committee of the CPC〔2016〕No30).
2. Deferring tax payments. Enterprises that are unable to declare taxes because of the coronavirus epidemic can apply for deferral in accordance with the law. Enterprises that cannot pay taxes in time for special reasons can apply for tax payment deferral in accordance with the law, and the deferral period should be no more than 3 months. During the implementation of first-level response measures for epidemic prevention and control in Wuxi, self-employed entrepreneurs who need to pay taxes in a fixed amount and time can report to the tax authority in charge and apply for suspension of business in accordance with the closing time provided that they need to suspend operations because of epidemic prevention; they can report to the tax authority in charge for a newly approved fixed amount of tax payment provided that the actual turnover and income are lower than the fixed tax payment amount approved by the tax authority for consecutive tax days during the outbreak of the epidemic. (Wuxi Tax Bureau)
3. Deducting or exempting land use taxes and real estate taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Enterprises affected by the epidemic that are having difficulties paying real estate taxes or urban land use taxes can apply for reduction and exemption of those taxes after the end of the epidemic. (Wuxi Tax Bureau, Wuxi Finance Bureau)
4. Temporarily reducing the proportion of corporate medical insurance contributions. The proportion of employees' supplementary medical insurance paid by enterprises will be temporarily reduced to 0.2 percent until Dec 31, 2020. The policy of reducing the proportion of employees' basic medical insurance paid by enterprises to 7 percent will be continued. (Wuxi Municipal Healthcare Security Bureau)
5. Suspending social security premium payments. Enterprises affected by the epidemic may, upon approval according to certain regulations, suspend the payment of endowment insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and medical insurance for up to six months without paying overdue fines, if they cannot afford to pay social insurance premiums in full. After the expiration of the suspension, the personal rights and interests of employees shall not be affected provided that enterprises pay the suspended premiums in full. From January 2020, flexible employees who are unable to pay insurance premiums, shall not have their personal rights and interests affected provided that they pay the suspended premiums in full after the expiration of the suspension. (Wuxi Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Wuxi Tax Bureau, Wuxi Finance Bureau, Wuxi Social Security Center)
6. Deducting or exempting rent for SMEs. Lessees of stores, plants and office buildings of State-owned commercial premises shall ensure SMEs affected by the epidemic and having difficulties operating shall operate free of rent from January to March in accordance with actual conditions. Municipal-level governments or administrative institutions are supported to exempt from January to March the rent paid by SMEs who have difficulties operating. Preferential policies shall be given to platforms such as innovation parks, high-tech enterprise incubators and startup bases that have offered rent reduction or exemption for SMEs during the outbreak. Other commercial landlords are encouraged to deduct and exempt rent for lessees who are affected by the epidemic and have difficulties operating. (SASAC Wuxi Branch, Wuxi Finance Bureau, Wuxi Science and Technology Bureau, Governments/Administrative Institutions, county-level/district-level governments, Administrative Committee of Wuxi Economic Development Zone)
7. Reducing and exempting employment security funds for the disabled. Enterprises in Wuxi affected by the epidemic with fewer than 2,000 employees are exempted from paying employment security funds for the disabled during the epidemic. (Wuxi Municipal Finance Bureau, Wuxi Tax Bureau, China Disabled Persons' Federation Wuxi Branch)
