Residents in south China's Guangdong Province will soon find their lives less cluttered by bureaucracy, thanks to a host of measures unveiled by the Provincial Public Security Bureau.

Starting from January 1, 2004, Guangdong residents will be able to apply for up to nine exit-entry certificates by simply logging on to the Internet or making a telephone call.

Applications for individual and package tours to Hong Kong and Macao, and individual passports for entering foreign countries are included.

"This is one of the 23 measures adopted to cater to the needs and convenience of the local residents," said Zheng Shaodong yesterday, who is the bureau's deputy director-general.

These measures cover a number of administrative fields, including household registration, exit-entry, public communications, firefighting and social order.

This was all the result of a broad public consultation exercise, which saw the bureau and public security bodies at all levels hold 3,300 discussions, issue around 630,000 questionnaires and interview nearly 110,000 residents.

This was inspired by the 30 measures which were suggested by the Ministry of Public Security.

According to the measures, people who lose their identity cards can soon apply for a new one after reporting the case to the authorized department in charge of the card, instead of having to wait for three months.

Local resident Zhao Hao may be the first beneficiary of the new policy.

He lost his identity card one week before his flight to Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. "I couldn't go on board without showing my identity card along with my flight ticket," he said.

But the flight ticket had been ordered 15 days previously, he added.

However, he finally got on board yesterday, the first day that the new measures came into force.

Local residents are also pleased with measures such as no longer having to go to designated shops to get their photos taken for identity cards or exit-entry certificates.

And enterprises that require 50 or more temporary residence certificates for their employees at one time can now pass the paperwork over to the relevant department instead of having to handle it themselves.

"The 23 measures are just the beginning. We will continue our efforts to meet residents' needs," said Zheng.

(China Daily October 15, 2003)