In the past, starting a business would require applying for paper business certificates, engraving seals, and purchasing tax-control disks, but now all the required materials for business registration in Ningbo can be obtained in just one step.

The city in East China's Zhejiang province has recently become the second city in China, following Shanghai, to promote the application of electronic business licenses and seals, according to local media reports.

The move is the latest effort by local authorities to facilitate business registration so as to optimize the business climate and stimulate the market.

Electronic seals, which have replaced the original physical seals, shall be issued free of charge along with electronic business licenses.

Recipients will be allowed to authorize others to manage or use their electronic business licenses and electronic seals, which have the same legal status as physical ones.

Xu Limin, director of the administrative approval department of the Ningbo Market Supervision Bureau, said that the electronic seals can be used in multiple different places simultaneously, helping mitigate risks involved with seal management. 

More specifically, enterprises can sign contracts online and engage in inter-provincial bidding with the electronic seals, Xu said.

Electronic seals will also be promoted in fields such as medical care, education, public transportation, culture, sports, tourism, and financial services in Ningbo in the coming days.