CCTV News: In order to strengthen the standardized management of business entities’ registration files, effectively protect and utilize registration files, and facilitate cross-regional migration of business entities, on February 10, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Archives Administration jointly formulated and issued the "Regulations on the Management of Business Organization Registration Files" (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures"), which will be officially implemented on March 20, 2025.

The Measures have a total of 31 articles, covering the overall requirements for registered archive management, archive collection and storage, archive information construction, archive migration, archive inquiry and utilization, and legal responsibilities. The main contents are as follows:

First, clarify the basic principles and management system of registration file management. The Measures stipulate that the management of registered files adheres to the principles of unified standards, hierarchical management, and centralized storage. The State Administration for Market Regulation is in charge of the national registration and file management work, formulates a registration and file management system, promotes the standardization and standardization of registered file management, and guides local registration agencies to carry out registration and file management work in an orderly manner in accordance with the law; registration agencies at or above the county level are responsible for the registration and file management work at the same level, and performs the registration and file management responsibilities in accordance with the law; archives departments at all levels supervise, guide and inspect the registration and file management work in accordance with the law.

The second is to improve the management standards of registration files and refine the management requirements of electronic registration files. The Measures stipulate the scope of filing, file establishment standards, storage requirements, management systems, storage period, etc. of registered files. It is clear that during the period of the existence of the business entity, the registered files shall be kept continuously. After the business entity is cancelled, the storage period of the registered files is generally 20 years. The registration authority shall regularly appraise the preservation value of the registered files with the expiration of the storage period and decide to destroy it or hand it over to the national comprehensive archives at the same level for permanent preservation. The Measures also make provisions on the archiving, security management, system construction of electronic registration files.

The third is to improve the management system for registration and file migration and strive to improve the convenience of migration. The Measures clearly state that the business entity applies to the registration authority for changes in registration and relocation registration files from the registration authority of the place of relocation, and does not need to submit repeated applications at the place of relocation; the registration authority of the place of relocation and relocation must do a good job in docking and file transfer, and shall not restrict or hinder the migration of registered files; it is required to continuously optimize the migration procedures and implement online processing of registered file migration, and it is clear that if the registration authority of the place of relocation can access the registration files online, the business entity can directly handle the registration business at the place of relocation during the relocation. At the same time, strengthen accountability and strengthen rigid constraints in the system.

The fourth is to optimize the registration file query procedures, taking into account both convenience and safety. According to actual social needs, the Measures expand the scope of registration file inquiry subjects, add relevant personnel, notarization, arbitration, judicial appraisal and other institutions, and bankruptcy administrators who are effectively registered by the business entity, and clarify the materials that various entities need to provide when applying for inquiry. Registration authorities are encouraged to accelerate the electronicization of registration files and provide Internet self-service inquiry and download services. While facilitating file inquiry and utilization, we will strive to manage the security of registered file registration. The Measures clearly require that when archiving, pages involving personal identity information should be specially marked or processed, and personal information should be protected; it is clear that real-name query is implemented for registered file information; the digital copy of the queries downloaded registered file should be marked with watermarks and identifications of relevant information of the query personnel page by page to prevent illegal use; it stipulates that the inquirer shall not obtain, use the registered file or obtain improper benefits in an improper way; and shall stipulate corresponding legal responsibilities for acts that damage the security of the registered file entities and information.