China mulls law to strengthen postal industry

A draft amendment to the postal law was tabled for reading Tuesday, as the current two-level administration system cannot meet the demands of the rapidly developing industry.

The draft, which will legally authorize postal administrations below provincial level to supervise the postal market, was submitted at the bi-monthly session (scheduled from Oct. 23 to 26) of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.

The current postal law, previously amended in 2009, provides a two-level postal administration system, including the State Council level and provincial level.

However, Ma Junsheng, director of the State Post Bureau, said in his report to the NPC Standing Committee, the current system cannot meet the demands of the developing industry. The lack of supervision over the postal market at city level or below has become an increasing problem.

The amendment adds that postal administrations below provincial level will be responsible for the supervision and administration over postal services and market of their jurisdictions. This gives legal authorization to this level of administration.

Also, postal administrations at State Council level are responsible for supervising services and the market across the country. The ones at provincial level are responsible for their own jurisdictions.