Recently, 15 Departments including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security ("MOHRSS") have jointly issued the Opinions on Working Effectively on the Employment and Entrepreneurship of Migrant Workers (the "Opinions").
The Opinions outline five general requirements, including broadening the employment channels for migrant workers leaving their hometowns, to provide 16 specific policy measures such as accelerating project construction to promote employment, and supporting migrant workers to return to their hometowns to start business for the purpose of driving employment. Among others, the Opinions call for efforts to encourage migrant workers to engage in individual business and open specialty stores, with tax preferences or other preferential policies to be given to those eligible as required; encourage Internet platform enterprises to reduce platform service charges and other standard rates, to support migrant workers to engage in new forms of employment for higher income, such as sales via livestream broadcast and delivery via online appointment; and accelerate the commencement and construction of projects, and increase the proportion of funds for labor remuneration from 10% to more than 15%. The Opinions also require that eligible migrant workers who return to their hometowns to start business shall be given tax and fee reductions and other entrepreneurial support policies according to relevant provisions, and for those who start business for the first time, if their business has been put into normal operation for more than one year or more than six months, a one-off entrepreneurship subsidy or 50% of such subsidy may be given to them separately.