Speech by Liang Zhaoshan of the Ministry of Commerce at the National Secretaries-General Joint Meeting of the Laundry and Dyeing Industry Association

-- Researcher Liang Zhaoshan, Department of Service Trade and Commercial Services, Ministry of Commerce

Dear Secretary-General Pan, distinguished guests, and friends:
Hello everyone.
I am very pleased to participate in our laundry and dyeing industry conference. Today's meeting brings together secretaries-general and industry experts from laundry and dyeing associations across the country to jointly formulate industry rules, exchange association experiences, and discuss the industry's development plans. It can be said that this meeting is a very important event for the laundry and dyeing industry; as the first secretaries-general meeting, it also holds milestone significance.
According to the meeting agenda, I will report to the conference on the relevant spirit of the Ministry of Commerce regarding the management of the laundry and dyeing industry. Here, on behalf of the Service Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, I warmly congratulate the convening of this meeting and sincerely thank the China Laundry and Dyeing Committee and local laundry and dyeing associations for their long-term support of our department's work!
Next, I will mainly talk about three aspects: first, the goals and main tasks for the development of the laundry and dyeing industry during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period; second, strengthening infrastructure construction and improving the legal standards system and statistical system; third, doing a good job in association work to escort the development of the laundry and dyeing industry.
 
1. Goals and main tasks for the development of the laundry and dyeing industry during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period
As a service industry closely related to people's daily life and production, the laundry and dyeing industry has developed rapidly in recent years. On one hand, the country has adjusted its economic structure and transformed its growth mode, vigorously supporting the development of the service industry, creating a favorable environment for the laundry and dyeing industry. On the other hand, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards and quality of life, the demand for washing and dyeing clothes and textiles has increased, providing favorable conditions for the industry's development. Currently, laundry and dyeing services include washing, ironing, dyeing, mending of daily clothes and public textiles, as well as leather care; the industry scale continues to expand. It is estimated that in 2010, there were about 250,000 laundry shops (factories) nationwide, with annual revenue exceeding 60 billion yuan and 1.25 million employees. The service scope is increasingly broad, service methods diversified, and the technological content of services is rising. Modern business models such as franchising and e-commerce have become popular. The industry's social contribution and status continue to improve. As an important livelihood service industry, laundry and dyeing plays an increasingly important role in improving people's quality of life, expanding consumption, serving industries, and absorbing employment.
However, it should also be noted that the current development of the laundry and dyeing industry still faces many urgent problems compared with the central government's requirements for vigorously developing livelihood services and the national "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" development requirements. For example, the industry standard system is not sound, vocational education and technical training are insufficient, there is a shortage of skilled workers, the industry's modernization level is not high, and laundry equipment and quality monitoring methods are relatively backward. Some of these problems are common in the service industry, while others are specific to our laundry and dyeing industry. These are urgent issues that must be resolved for the healthy development of our industry.
To further promote the accelerated development of the laundry and dyeing industry, the Ministry of Commerce issued a document last September clarifying guidance on the industry's development. This year, to earnestly implement the national "Twelfth Five-Year Plan," based on the requirements for formulating the domestic trade "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" and instructions from ministry leaders, we have re-studied and proposed the "Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Commerce on Further Developing the Laundry and Dyeing Industry during the 'Twelfth Five-Year Plan' Period." This document has been submitted for ministry leadership approval and is expected to be issued soon. The guiding opinions further clarify the guiding ideology, development goals, and main tasks for the laundry and dyeing industry during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period.
The guiding ideology is to take the scientific outlook on development as guidance, closely focus on meeting demand, improving people's livelihood, and expanding consumption, accelerate the pace of convenient, chain, and standardized development, comprehensively improve service quality, promote transformation of development mode and structural optimization, continuously improve the level of scale, branding, and modernization, strive to achieve sustained, rapid, and healthy industry development, and better meet the needs of the broad masses of people.
The development goal of the laundry and dyeing industry during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period is to strive for an average annual growth rate of about 18% in operating income, exceeding 100 billion yuan by 2015; gradually optimize the industry structure, achieve popular laundry service outlets entering communities, form a number of regionally and nationally competitive laundry and dyeing enterprises with standardized management, achieve a certificate-holding rate of over 30% among practitioners, continuously improve the level of industry technology application, achieve significant results in energy saving and emission reduction, and basically adapt the overall industry development level to various service demands.

The main tasks for the development of the laundry and dyeing industry during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period mainly include four aspects:
(1) Strengthen industry planning and optimize industry structure. Localities should formulate scientific and sound development plans for the laundry and dyeing industry based on local population size, market demand, and regional economic characteristics, incorporate the laundry and dyeing industry into the overall urban service industry development plan, optimize outlet layout, and gradually form a widely covered, reasonably structured, convenient, and safe laundry service network system. Actively guide laundry and dyeing enterprises to change development modes and adjust industry structure. First, adhere to the popularization direction. In daily clothes washing, vigorously develop popular and convenient laundry services, guide laundry enterprises to establish points in communities, improve community convenience laundry networks, and better meet the laundry needs of low- and middle-income groups; second, adhere to intensive development. In public textile washing, vigorously develop centralized washing, actively promote the construction of modern large-scale laundry factories and scale development.
(2) Cultivate independent brands in the laundry and dyeing industry and improve core competitiveness. Vigorously implement the laundry and dyeing industry brand development strategy, support key laundry enterprises to strengthen technology research and development, equipment renovation, and new technology application, actively develop modern business models such as chain operation, franchising, and logistics distribution, integrate industry resources, reduce operating costs, increase market share, and form a number of brand enterprises with good social reputation and strong competitiveness. Strengthen industry exchanges, increase publicity and promotion of excellent enterprise brands and service brands, fully leverage the leading and exemplary role of brand enterprises, promote industry excellence and competition, and drive the entire industry to improve management and service levels.
(3) Innovate the connotation of laundry and dyeing services and strive to improve service quality. Guide laundry enterprises to actively use modern laundry technology means, continuously innovate and enrich service items, especially increase specialized services with higher technical requirements such as leather care and bag washing, ensure washing quality, and provide customers with convenient and differentiated washing services. Encourage laundry enterprises to innovate service methods, vigorously carry out telephone and online appointments, door-to-door clothing pickup and delivery, online payment and settlement, and other new marketing methods to facilitate residents' consumption; explore the development of public textile leasing and distribution service models to promote intensive development of the laundry and dyeing industry. Guide enterprises to improve laundry quality management systems, effectively track laundry service quality, and continuously improve service levels and consumer satisfaction.
(4) Strengthen the application of modern technology to promote energy conservation and environmental protection in the laundry and dyeing industry. Promote the use of energy-saving and environmentally friendly laundry and dyeing equipment and resource recycling technologies, and intensify the elimination of outdated production processes and equipment with high energy consumption and pollution. According to the actual situation of enterprises, gradually phase out outdated equipment such as open-type dry cleaning machines in household laundry and dyeing enterprises, and gradually eliminate large-capacity semi-automatic washing machines in public textile laundry enterprises. Developed laundry and dyeing areas should focus on developing laundry services with high technical content and added value and low resource consumption, ensuring that laundry and dyeing emissions meet national environmental protection requirements. Underdeveloped laundry and dyeing areas should prevent the transfer of outdated equipment, banned chemical raw materials, and low-level production capacity.
 
2. Strengthen infrastructure construction, improve the legal and regulatory standards system and statistical system
In recent years, with the active efforts of laundry and dyeing associations at all levels, we have made gratifying progress in the construction of laws and standards for the laundry and dyeing industry. In 2007, the Ministry of Commerce, together with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the State Environmental Protection Administration, issued Order No. 5 and promulgated the "Laundry and Dyeing Industry Management Measures." Subsequently, some industry standards were introduced. In August this year, the Ministry of Commerce approved and issued the "Laundry and Dyeing Service Operation Specifications" and "Laundry and Dyeing Service Quality Requirements." At this meeting, the two discussion drafts "National Laundry and Dyeing Service Dispute Resolution Measures" and "Laundry and Dyeing Service Quality Appraisal Work Specifications" will also be discussed. This is an important work for our industry to establish a service quality testing and evaluation system and resolve disputes. It can be said that we have initially established a legal and regulatory standards system for the laundry and dyeing industry. However, the progress of this work is still not ideal and falls far short of the requirements of industry development. First, the promulgated laws and standards have insufficient promotion, implementation, and enforcement, which need to be further strengthened; second, some standards that have been initiated are progressing too slowly; third, the standards system needs further improvement to adapt to market development needs, accelerate the research and formulation of various new fabric washing service standards, as well as technical standards for energy-saving and environmentally friendly laundry and dyeing equipment and chemicals, and revise and improve standards for resource conservation and comprehensive utilization in the laundry and dyeing industry.
Regarding industry statistical work, in recent years, the Ministry of Commerce and the Laundry and Dyeing Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce have done some work. Since the laundry and dyeing industry has not yet been included in the National Bureau of Statistics' statistical system, this work is quite difficult and can only rely on surveys of member enterprises and typical enterprises and expert analysis and demonstration to obtain some approximate data, whose quality and accuracy are not very high.
Doing a good job in industry development data statistics and analysis is an important basis for strengthening industry supervision. The purpose is, first, to serve leadership decision-making and formulate policies and measures that fit the actual development of the industry; second, to serve enterprise development by providing more accurate and powerful information services and market analysis. Therefore, under the current statistical system in our country, in addition to actively striving to be included in the national statistical system, it is more important to leverage the role of associations and rely on the efforts of associations and a wide range of enterprises to accurately grasp the industry's situation. Currently, the focus of doing a good job in laundry and dyeing industry statistics is two tasks.
First, establish an industry statistical database. The National Laundry and Dyeing Committee should base it on members and fully utilize the role of local laundry and dyeing associations to establish a database that basically covers the entire industry landscape. Data collection, besides obtaining it from the National Bureau of Statistics and departments of industry and commerce, taxation, etc., can mainly be obtained by combining typical enterprise surveys and member enterprise censuses, and combining real industry data statistics with reasonable estimations.
The basic indicators of database statistics mainly include the number of enterprise units, number of employees, annual turnover, tax payment, and certification rate; derived indicators should include growth rate, industry structure, etc. Other reasonable statistical data can be added according to needs. Database data should strive to be timely and accurate, with a correctness rate of over 80%. Industry statistical data should be reported to the Ministry of Commerce in March every year.
Second, write an annual development report for the laundry and dyeing industry. The National Laundry and Dyeing Committee should combine statistical data and strengthen industry analysis, preparing an annual development report for the previous year every year.
The annual development report should mainly include: analysis of the domestic and international environment for industry development; characteristics of the industry's annual development, mainly describing the scale, structure, service level, and industry management and service support; main problems existing in industry development; basic outlook for industry development; opinions and suggestions to promote industry development; and major events of the industry during the year. The previous year's annual report should be completed before June of the current year and promptly submitted to the Ministry of Commerce for review and issuance.
Industry statistical work is a very important and heavy specific and fundamental task. The ministry leadership attaches great importance to it. Vice Minister Jiang Zengwei has held multiple meetings to deploy and requires us and associations at all levels to pay great attention. It should be recognized correctly from the perspective of strengthening industry infrastructure and promoting sustainable industry development, and from the perspective of improving government decision-making and the authority of industry associations. The main leaders should personally take charge, assign dedicated personnel, organize industry experts, and make great efforts to do this work well. Regarding funding for statistical work, the Ministry of Commerce will actively strive to provide necessary financial support to associations. We hope that the majority of laundry and dyeing enterprises will strongly support and cooperate with the associations in carrying out statistical work, and that local associations will support the National Laundry and Dyeing Committee to jointly do a good job in industry statistics.

3. Do a good job in association work to safeguard the development of the laundry and dyeing industry
Industry associations are important organizations that communicate with the government, connect enterprises, and serve the industry. Doing a good job in association work is of great practical significance for formulating good industry development policies, promoting standardized industry development, expanding industry exchanges and cooperation, and helping enterprises grow bigger and stronger. Especially under the market economy environment, the role of industry organizations is more prominent and in some aspects decisive. In developed Western countries, industry associations have a very high status. Under the current system in our country, doing a good job in laundry and dyeing industry association work mainly involves the following aspects:
First, industry theoretical research. Association organizations should be the authoritative departments for industry theoretical research, accurately grasp the latest theoretical research trends in the industry, maintain close contact with educational and scientific research institutions, and accurately grasp the direction of industry development. Currently, the National Laundry and Dyeing Committee has its own industry publication, and local associations also have high-quality publications. We hope everyone will further strengthen this work, timely exchange the latest achievements in industry theoretical research, and lay a theoretical foundation for the sustainable development of the industry.
Second, industrial policy guidance. Associations at all levels should actively communicate and coordinate with local commerce authorities, represent the industry in strengthening communication with finance, industry and commerce, taxation, health, environmental protection, urban construction, urban management, and other departments, timely study and solve new situations and problems arising in industry development, strive for policy support from local people's governments and relevant departments for the laundry and dyeing industry, research and propose policy suggestions in promoting the development of community convenient laundry networks, ensuring laundry and dyeing enterprises carry out logistics and distribution services, encouraging enterprises to adopt environmental protection technologies and energy-saving equipment, etc. In terms of energy conservation and emission reduction, elimination of backward production capacity, governance of unreasonable charges, and optimization of the business environment, play a decision-making service role and guide relevant government departments to formulate policies and measures favorable to industry development.
Third, formulation of industry rules. Laundry and dyeing associations should play an important role in researching and formulating industry laws and regulations, developing standards, qualification certification, quality appraisal, information statistics, etc., while strengthening industry self-discipline, intensifying publicity and implementation efforts, guiding enterprises to learn, understand, and abide by rules, and promoting harmonious and orderly industry development.
Fourth is industry development promotion. The Laundry and Dyeing Association should actively carry out various activities to promote industry development, such as strengthening talent cultivation, skills training, professional qualification certification, conducting industry exchanges and cooperation, organizing inspections, exhibitions, and skills competitions. It should establish a service awareness to do more good and practical things for the industry and enterprises.
Fifth is service quality evaluation and arbitration. As an intermediary service organization, the association also has the functions of service effect evaluation, service quality appraisal, and resolving service disputes. It should properly handle various disputes encountered by enterprises during service operations according to relevant regulations and methods, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and operators.
Sixth is the construction of industry spiritual civilization. The association should actively guide the construction of industry ethics, encourage enterprises to take social responsibility courageously, and consciously maintain a good industry image of the laundry and dyeing sector. It should vigorously promote the construction of the laundry and dyeing industry's integrity system, improve enterprise credit management files, perfect the credit evaluation system and disclosure system, and promote continuous improvement of industry service levels.
       
For the above report, any inappropriate points are respectfully welcomed for criticism and correction.
Thank you all.
 
 

November 3, 2011