It is the industry association's unshirkable responsibility to convey the voices to the government.

Editor's Note
According to the national requirements to accelerate the development of the commercial service industry, and to further strengthen research and analysis on the development of industries such as laundry and dyeing, accommodation, catering, bathing, and beauty and hairdressing, to explore the impact of macroeconomic conditions and policies on the industry, and to guide the industry to develop well and rapidly, on January 10, 2008, the Ministry of Commerce held a symposium on the development of the commercial service industry. At the meeting, representatives of various commercial service industry associations gave special reports and discussions on the theme of the meeting.
The following is a speech outline compiled based on the report by Comrade Pi Fei, Director of the Comprehensive Business Department of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce. The title was added by the editor. Its main content and viewpoints have certain guidance and reference value for the development of the laundry and dyeing industry. It is recommended for publication for the reference of industry colleagues. Due to space limitations, some parts were abridged during editing.

Secretariat of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce

I. Main Factors Affecting the Laundry and Dyeing Industry
First, the convening of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China marks the beginning of a new era of "rule of law" in China, with comprehensive promotion of legal system construction; within the legal framework, the rights and voices of industry organizations and enterprises will be fairly upheld; the government will act as a service provider, replacing administrative misconduct and inaction with lawful administration. This means the state will further encourage economic organizations with substantive independent innovation and their technologies and products; new economic growth models and business formats will be favored by national industrial policies; various economic organizations will find it easier to expand externally. It means the diversification of market entities will be accepted as builders of the new market system; the state's economic regulation will focus more on efficiency and market-based methods. It means energy saving and environmental protection will be basic national policies, rigidly reflected in the industrial structure, growth mode, and consumption patterns of economic organizations. It also means the state will further encourage entrepreneurship that greatly promotes employment, while competition within some industries will intensify.
Second, as China's first fundamental law related to the development of the laundry and dyeing industry, the promulgation and implementation of the "Laundry and Dyeing Industry Management Measures" has pointed out the direction and goals for the industry's development and defined its boundaries, marking a milestone. It provides a basic basis for local commerce, industry and commerce, and environmental protection departments to administer according to law, carry out guidance and promotion of the laundry and dyeing industry, regulate market order and business conduct, protect the legitimate rights and interests of operators and consumers, promote the industry's technical level, and create a good consumption environment. It requires industry organizations and enterprises, under the guidance of relevant national and local government departments, to work on strengthening industry self-discipline, advocating honest operation, organizing and implementing standards, providing information consulting, conducting technical training, mediating service disputes, and reflecting operators' suggestions and demands, to promote healthy and harmonious industry development.
Third, the sustained growth of the national economy reflects the vigorous development of the country's economy, increased national income, and enhanced consumer purchasing power. Industry enterprises can refer to GDP growth parameters to reflect on their own growth, analyze reasons, study countermeasures, and further improve service levels and capabilities. Compared with the huge gap in per capita GDP growth between developed countries in Europe and America, it encourages industry enterprises and organizations to explore and tap potential, strengthen confidence in refining and expanding, and innovatively manage and develop. The initiation of using green GDP (green national economic accounting) results to formulate related pollution control, environmental taxation, ecological compensation, and performance evaluation systems for leading cadres will have a significant and profound impact on equipment upgrades, technological innovation, and business management concepts of new and old enterprises.
Fourth, due to the following comprehensive factors, the disposable income of Chinese residents has begun to enter a substantial growth period. In securities, risks have increased but the overall trend is positive, and capital turnover is inevitable; the central bank has raised interest rates six times; the tax deduction for salary income has increased to 2,000 yuan (reducing the proportion of taxpayers among the national salaried class from 50% to 30%); the rapid growth of property income has made rentier groups possible in contemporary China. The result of these changes will inevitably convert a considerable portion of funds or income into consumer spending entering the commercial service sector. How much each industry can gain from this is a question worth exploring.
Fifth, the Beijing Olympic Games. In today's era of economic globalization, the Olympics are no longer a single isolated sports event; its influence is not limited to Beijing or the few cities with sub-venues. It has evolved into a way of life called the "Olympic Spirit" and an economic growth model called the "Olympic Economy." This means making the Chinese Olympics truly "Olympic China," experiencing competition in sports contests, discovering Chinese wealth wisdom through the test of the Olympic economy, and truly enabling our enterprises to develop a habit and learn a way of survival through one Olympic Games.
Sixth, it is important to make good use of the latecomer advantage of developing countries. China has a large population and vast territory with huge regional economic disparities. While coastal metropolises have reached developed country living standards, many inland provinces remain at medium to low levels. This huge regional economic disparity is inevitable and, to some extent, an advantage for China's development (factories in Guangzhou and Shenzhen can easily recruit inland workers with monthly salaries of a few hundred yuan, which is unimaginable in small developed countries or those with balanced development). This disparity provides China with at least 30 years of low labor cost competitive advantage, meaning China can engage in active and long-term competition with developed countries and even low-income developing countries at high, medium, and low economic levels.
II. Development and Operation of the Laundry and Dyeing Industry in 2007
We believe that the development and operation of the laundry and dyeing industry in 2007 was basically positive. The main characteristics are as follows:
First, unify thinking and raise awareness. The Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee clearly stated at the board meeting held in early July 2007 and the concurrent industry summit forum that we should not only recognize that the "Laundry and Dyeing Industry Management Measures" set goals, pointed directions, raised requirements, and defined boundaries for the industry's development, but more importantly, treat the "Measures" as a valuable policy and regulatory resource for the healthy and harmonious development of the industry and apply it accordingly.
Second, the promulgation and implementation of the "Measures" received active responses from industry enterprises and organizations across various regions. Many places carried out activities to publicize and implement the "Measures," and some places formulated corresponding local regulations and implementation rules based on the "Measures."
Third, market operation shows mainstream trends amid disorder and concentration amid dispersion. On one hand, due to the generally low entry threshold of the laundry and dyeing industry, ranging from family-run shops to front-shop back-factory models, from single stores to chain operations, to large laundry factories and laundry parks, with equipment of several generations coexisting, coupled with extremely unbalanced regional economic development, the market appears disorderly and scattered; on the other hand, standardized operation and scientific management aiming for long-term sustainability are becoming mainstream, with large chain enterprises and multiple enterprises across industries and regions forming new entities as super-interest groups to exert greater market influence.
Fourth, there is a trend of market competition evolving from low-level to high-level. Low-level price competition, substandard services with inferior quality and cutting corners still have a certain market, but more is the dignified brand competition displayed to become bigger and more refined; some enterprises rapidly strengthen and expand in the industry through the introduction and cooperation of concepts and brands, leveraging latecomer advantages, which in a sense provides experience and preparation for the industry as a whole to face international competition.
Fifth, although the industry's development and operation are basically positive, the service concepts, management levels, management capabilities, and management methods of government departments and industry organizations still need improvement; the overall quality of practitioners also needs to be enhanced, and the construction of supporting laws, regulations, and standards systems in the industry needs further improvement.
Sixth, the comprehensive price increase factors have made many laundry and dyeing enterprises overwhelmed. Since laundry and dyeing is a low-profit industry, with the rise in prices of rent, water, electricity, gas, etc., coupled with the implementation of the new "Labor Contract Law," labor costs have increased, causing the overall operating costs of enterprises (stores) to rise excessively, and owners are inevitably forced out or pass on the costs through price increases.
3. Relevant Policy Recommendations
Our industry association organizations are neither the result of fully market-oriented behavior nor do they have the rigid functions of the government. Therefore, there is a lack of enforcement in implementing the "Laundry and Dyeing Industry Management Measures" and guiding the healthy and harmonious development of the industry. At present, this gap can only be effectively filled through necessary authorization from government departments. In view of this reason and the aforementioned factors, the following three suggestions are proposed:
First, formulate corresponding equipment standards according to the "Measures," clearly defining aspects such as energy saving, environmental protection, and safety in hardware by regularly publishing a catalog of qualified equipment, further strengthening the operability and enforcement of the "Measures."
Second, formulate corresponding professional qualification standards according to the "Measures," improving personnel quality by promoting vocational training and certification for all employees to enhance service awareness, service ability, and service level.
Third, based on the "Measures" and industry realities, establish a national-level testing and appraisal institution with government support (government project funding or joint funding with the association) to improve the high-end of the industry service system, fundamentally solving the embarrassing situation where consumer complaint rates remain high while arbitration authority and arbitration levels are low.