CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL ON THEAPPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL TOURISMADMINISTRATION CONCERNING THE FURTHER CHECKING-UP AND RECTIFICATION OFTOURIST AGENCIES
CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL ON THEAPPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL TOURISMADMINISTRATION CONCERNING THE FURTHER CHECKING-UP AND RECTIFICATION OFTOURIST AGENCIES
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
Whole Document
CIRCULAR OF THE GENERAL OFFICE UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL ON THE
APPROVAL AND TRANSMISSION OF A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL TOURISM
ADMINISTRATION CONCERNING THE FURTHER CHECKING-UP AND RECTIFICATION OF
TOURIST AGENCIES
(April 10, 1990)
The report, "Suggestions Concerning Further Checking-up and Rectification
of Tourist Agencies", submitted by the National Tourism Administration,
has been approved by the State Council; and now the report is hereby
transmitted to you for implementation.
SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING FURTHER CHECKING-UP AND RECTIFICATION OF TOURIST
AGENCIES
In order to promote the sound development of tourist industry in our
country, and in accordance with the decision of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party of China and the State Council concerning the
checking-up and rectification of companies, our suggestions are hereby
advanced on the further checking-up and rectification of tourist agencies
(including tourist companies and other similar organizations; the same
below):
1. Various localities and departments shall carry out conscientiously the
checking-up and rectification on the tourist agencies that are under their
jurisdiction. The emphasis of the checking-up and rectification shall be
placed on the tourist agencies of Categories 1 and 2 that handle
international tourist business operations, and also on those tourist
agencies that are engaged, without permission, in soliciting tourists from
abroad. Those tourist agencies that do not possess the prerequisites as
prescribed for tourist business operations shall be abolished or merged,
and the problems concerning multilateral connections with overseas
business parties, the reduction of tourist prices for competition, and
poor-quality tourist services shall be earnestly dealt with.
2. A tourist agency that comes under one of the following circumstances
shall be abolished or merged with other tourist agencies.
(1) Tourist agencies which are in operation, but do not possess the
prerequisites of a certain category as prescribed in "Interim Regulations
on the Administration of Tourist Agencies" and "Rules for the
Implementation of the Interim Regulations on the Administration of Tourist
Agencies" in terms of the actual registered capital, employed personnel;
site for business operations, and organizational setups.
(2) Tourist agencies of Category 1 which, from the date "Rules for the
Implementation of the Interim Regulations on the Administration of Tourist
Agencies" are promulgated for implementation to the end of March, 1990,
have not reached the prescribed annual accumulative total of tourists
received and the amount of foreign exchange earned.
(3) Tourist agencies which have been engaged in such serious illegal
business activities as reducing tourist prices for competition, evading
foreign exchange regulations and practising arbitrage, procuring foreign
exchange by illegal means, and reselling foreign exchange for a profit.
(4) Tourist agencies with inefficient business operations, poor
management, unsound internal rules and regulations, and insufficient
earnings for repaying debts.
(5) Tourist agencies whose services are so poor that they have incurred
frequent complaints from tourists; whose tourist guides and other employed
personnel have been presumptuous in seeking and accepting tips and
commission, or whose ill conduct has frequently brought damage to the
reputation of our country and has thus created very bad influence.
(6) Tourist agencies which are unable to recover the travelling expenses
owed for a long period of time by foreign tourist agents, and have, since
1988, new debts added to old ones, thus suffering heavy economic losses.
(7) The branch offices of a tourist agency, the head office of which has
been abolished or merged.
(8) Tourist agencies set up and run by hotels (or guest houses).
(9) Tourist agencies (including their business offices) that have been
established in foreign countries or in the regions of Hong Kong and Macao
by various localities or departments without the approval of the National
Tourism Administration. With respect to those tourist agencies which are
to be abolished according to the pertinent decisions, the competent
authorities over them shall, in accordance with the pertinent provisions,
set up a liquidation organization to check up and settle the creditors'
financial claims and to liquidate liabilities, and to attend to the
winding-up business.
3. The task of the checking-up and rectification of the existing tourist
agencies shall be completed by the end of the third quarter of this year.
Various localities and departments shall have to submit their plans for
the abolition, merging, or retention of tourist agencies to the National
Tourism Administration for examination and approval, and also to the
National Leading Group of Checking-up and Rectifying Companies for the
record. Those tourist agencies that have been retained shall, by
presenting the document of approval issued by the National Tourism
Administration, apply anew for their re-establishment, and go through the
registration procedures in accordance with the law. In order to prevent
the setting up of an excessive number of tourist agencies of Categories 1
and 2, within 2 years beginning from 1990, no applications for the
establishment of new tourist agencies of Categories 1 and 2 shall be
examined and approved. With respect to those tourist agencies the
applications for the establishment of which have already been approved by
the National Tourism Administration or by the tourism bureaus of the
provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the
Central Government but which have not yet gone through the registration
procedures with the administrative departments for industry and commerce,
the original document of approval shall be declared invalid.
4. In the course of the checking-up and rectification of tourist agencies,
it shall be imperative to implement the policy of deepening the reforms,
and further streamline the administration of tourist agencies. Tourist
agencies shall separate themselves in such respects as working personnel,
financial matters, and assets and materials from Party and government
organs, institutions, and public organizations, and establish themselves
as economic entities, which shall have independent business accounting,
assume sole responsibility for their profits and losses, and conduct their
business operations according to law. The business operations of tourist
agencies shall be placed under the administration of the administrative
department for tourism.
5. The checking-up and rectification of tourist agencies shall be carried
out in close link with the establishment and improvement of the relevant
rules and regulations and administrative systems, so as to further
strengthen the administration of tourist agencies.
(1) In order to protect the State interests and to check the competition
between various tourist agencies by reduction of tourist prices, all
tourist agencies must strictly implement the unified stipulation on price
standard, rules for the calculation of prices, and the measures for
preferential treatment, as formulated by the National Tourism
Administration and the State Administration for Commodity Prices.
(2) In 1990, the State auditing organs shall carry out trade auditing on
the financial revenue and expenditure situation and the business
activities of tourist agencies of Categories 1 and 2. The National Tourism
Administration and the tourism bureaus of various provinces, autonomous
regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall,
working in coordination with the commodity prices authorities at the same
level, carry out regular inspections of the situation concerning the
business operations and the prices for overseas sales relating to tourist
agencies of Categories 1 and 2.
(3) In accordance with the provisions of Interim Measures for the Control
of Foreign Exchange from Tourism, promulgated by the State Administration
for Control of Foreign Exchange and the National Tourism Administration,
the foreign exchange earnings, collected by those units and enterprises
which, without the approval of the competent authorities for tourism,
presumptuously conduct international tourist business operations, shall
all be converted, and no retention of foreign exchange shall be allowed.
(4) The competent authorities for tourism that are vested with the right
to issue notice of visa must, strictly in accordance with the pertinent
provisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Tourism
Administration, check and issue notices of visa; they shall not be
permitted to issue notices of visa on behalf of other units or of those
tourist agencies which do not have the right to solicit tourists from
abroad. Those who have violated the aforesaid provisions shall have their
right to issue visa notice revoked.
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