Commentary from People's Daily: Do Practical Things to Alleviate Difficulties for the Development of Small and Medium - sized Enterprises

Recently, the General Office issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening Support and Relief for Small and Medium - sized Enterprises" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"). Centering on the decision - making and deployment, following the principles of being practical and achieving short - term visible results, and adhering to problem - orientation and goal - orientation, the "Notice" aims to further intensify efforts to assist enterprises, relieve the development burden of small and medium - sized enterprises, and help them tide over difficulties.

Recently, affected by factors such as rising raw material prices, insufficient orders, difficulties and high costs in employment, slow collection of accounts receivable, high logistics costs, the sporadic spread of the COVID - 19 pandemic, and power outages and power restrictions in some areas, small and medium - sized enterprises are facing increased cost pressures and exacerbated operational difficulties. The "Notice" puts forward nine specific measures, including increasing support for relief funds, further promoting tax and fee reductions, and flexibly using various financial policy tools. These measures not only involve deepening the implementation of previously introduced policies but also propose new initiatives such as helping small and medium - sized enterprises use futures hedging tools to cope with the risk of significant fluctuations in raw material costs. Each measure directly addresses the difficulties, pain points, and bottlenecks in the development of small and medium - sized enterprises.

Small and medium - sized enterprises can achieve great things. Small and medium - sized enterprises are the main force in national economic and social development, playing an important role in promoting growth, ensuring employment, and improving people's livelihoods. By the end of September, the number of employees in small and medium - sized industrial enterprises above designated size was 50.102 million, accounting for 68.2% of the total number of employees in industrial enterprises above designated size. Stabilizing small and medium - sized enterprises means stabilizing the "foundation" of economic operation. By further strengthening support and relief for small and medium - sized enterprises, the overall situation of economic growth can be stabilized.

Only when small and medium - sized enterprises thrive can the Chinese economy thrive. It is worth noting that the Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium - sized Enterprises recently issued the "List of Practical Things for 'Specialized, Sophisticated, Special, and New' Small and Medium - sized Enterprises" and the "Several Measures to Enhance the Competitiveness of Small and Medium - sized Enterprises", which, together with the "Notice", form a combined approach, presenting a "big gift package" for the development of small and medium - sized enterprises. The combination of providing relief and stimulating vitality can not only further stimulate the innovation vitality and development impetus of small and medium - sized enterprises but also boost their confidence in development.

From implementing tax - preferential policies such as exempting small - scale taxpayers with monthly sales of less than 150,000 yuan from value - added tax to implementing interest - subsidy and reward policies for start - up guarantee loans; from promoting the compliance construction of small and medium - sized enterprises to promoting local governments to conduct on - site visits to all "specialized, sophisticated, special, and new" small and medium - sized enterprises by the end of 2022; from making good use of the newly increased 300 billion yuan of re - lending funds for small enterprises to deeply carrying out the project to improve the financial service capabilities of small and medium - sized enterprises... A series of targeted, detailed, operable, and implementable support measures have been proposed. This is a multi - beneficial strategy that is beneficial both in the short - term and in the long - term. Once the vitality of small and medium - sized enterprises is further stimulated, it will provide strong support for better economic recovery and for making good progress and showing new signs in building a new development pattern.

One part of deployment requires nine parts of implementation. Good policies can bring tangible benefits to small and medium - sized enterprises, but the key lies in implementation. To improve the satisfaction and sense of happiness of small and medium - sized enterprises, we need to not only strengthen responsibilities and implement all decision - making and deployment measures in a comprehensive, detailed, and practical manner but also focus on key tasks, intensify efforts in weak links of the development of small and medium - sized enterprises, and promptly introduce supporting policies. We need to both "provide timely help" and "help build up". Only when small and medium - sized enterprises actually feel a reduction in burden and convenience in financing, and truly improve their sense of gain, can we effectively promote the healthy development of small and medium - sized enterprises.