Department of Civil Affairs of Anhui Province and Three Other Departments Jointly Arranged the Waiver of Rents for Private-Owned Non-Profit Elderly Service Institutions

In order to fully implement the supportive policy to activate social forces to participate in elderly services and help tackle the challenges faced by elderly service institutions, Department of Civil Affairs of Anhui Province, Anhui Provincial Department of Finance, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Anhui Province and Anhui Provincial Administration of Government Logistics, under the permission of the People’s Government of Anhui Province, jointly issued the Notice on Waiving the Rental Payments of Private-owned Non-profit Elderly Service Institutions (hereinafter referred to as the Notice)

The Notice clarified that the entitled group for exemption of rentals shall be private-owned non-profit elderly service institutions (including elderly care institutions, community elderly service institutions, etc.) that lease housing of state-owned enterprises for business purposes   or premises owned by administrative agencies and public institutions. The duration of exemption shall last from February to April, 2022. For those having paid the rentals, relevant fees will be waived through means such as reimbursement and extension. With this basis, an additional waiver of 3-months rentals will be further applied to those in the county-level administrative areas located in medium- and high-risk regions due to the pandemic in 2022. If prefecture- and county-level governments have established rental exemption policies to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), local state-owned enterprises or administrative agencies and public institutions shall implement such policies correspondingly.        

The Notice requires related departments to verify leasing information. Municipal civil affairs departments shall take the lead to register elderly service institutions in their responsible areas, and after verification, provide feedback on relevant information for state-owned enterprises and administrative agencies and public institutions in the responsible areas. The missed institution can go to municipal civil affairs departments for self-registration and declaration. As required in the Notice, related departments shall implement exemption policies. After receiving leasing information provided by municipal civil affairs departments, related state-owned enterprises and administrative agencies and public institutions shall actively implement the policy of ‘benefits without application’ and timely waive rentals of the tenantry. Relevant procedures needed should be conducted in a streamlined manner to improve timeliness. Refunds related to non-tax revenue shall be delivered as stipulated. As required in the Notice, related departments shall strengthen proactive services. Departments of Civil Affairs at all levels shall make government affairs better known to the public, and fully inform the public of the exemption policies through government transparency means, media publicity, etc. Relevant state-owned enterprises, administrative agencies and public institutions shall strengthen ethical conduct and do concrete deeds, proactively contact the tenantry conforming to policy conditions and make consultations with them on rental waiver issues. As required in the Notice, relevant departments shall further prevent risks and defuse conflicts, and facilitate communication with the unqualified tenantry. 

(Source: China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service)