Property registration to be unified

Unified property registration will be implemented across the city starting Oct 8, replacing all informal certificates for properties with unified ones, reported Economic Daily. Since the implementation of the policy in Shanghai's Fengxian district on June 12, the area has issued 7,380 property certificates and 11,166 registration certificates as of Sept 27. Experts said the new policy has laid the foundations for property tax collection in the future.

City to finalize sponge standards

The municipal government of Shanghai has commenced its efforts to become a sponge city, with the trial area of Lingang in Pudong New Area setting the goal of achieving zero water logging in the next three years, Huanqiu.com reported. Lingang, which was designated as the trial area in April, covers 79 square kilometers and will receive up to 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) in investments. A concrete plan for Shanghai's sponge city development will be completed by the end of October.

Traffic campaign pays dividends

The number of traffic accidents in Shanghai has dropped following a six-month campaign against traffic violations, according to local police. During the six months, there were 381 traffic accidents reported, 27.84 percent lower than a year ago. The death toll and number of injured motorists have also decreased by 15.22 percent and 48.77 percent respectively year-on-year. The daily traffic jam alarm slid 0.69 percent and daily parking violation dropped 5.15 percent compared to March. More than 90 percent of locals surveyed support the traffic campaign.

Culture licensing fair to kick off

The 2016 China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Culture Licensing Fair will take place at the Regal Plaza Hotel & Residence from Oct 26 to 28. This expo on intellectual property (IP) will feature participants from 14 countries and will include artistic and design creations, folk art heritage, as well as gaming and animation IPs. Industry insiders from all over the world will also participate in a forum and round table meetings. IP licensing is a new and rapidly growing business in China, said Feng Lan, vice president of Shanghai Oriental Huiwen Int'l Cultural Service Trading Co Ltd, the organizer of the fair since 2014.

Fitness survey results for locals revealed

According to a survey on the fitness conditions of Shanghainese people, about 40.8 percent of locals work out regularly and their average daily expenditure for exercise is 17.3 yuan ($2.6). The survey, published on Sept 28, also found that the number of fitness enthusiasts has increased 0.4 percentage points from last year, and the most favored activities are jogging, badminton, basketball, square dancing and table tennis. In 2015, 540 sports fields covering a total area of 279,021 square meters were added across the city. Shanghai has since 2012 been publishing annual reports that track residents' fitness and health conditions.

(China Daily USA 10/07/2016 page7)