Urban Rail Transit Vehicles Investment Projects are Facing Capacity Monitor
By Manuel Torres (Managing Partner of Garrigues China), Lucy Luo (Principal Associate), Liting Zheng (Corporate Associate)
2018年3月9日，国家发展和改革委员会(“国家发改委”)办公厅发布了《关于加强城市轨道交通车辆投资项目监管有关事项的通知》([发改办产业[2018]323号])(“323号通知”)。323号通知旨在通过加强产能监测预警、完善项目投资监管、加快产业结构调整及促进产业规范发展，监督城市轨道交通车辆投资项目以及相关的牵引、制动、信号系统投资项目。通知提出，要加强产能监测预警，建立产能信息报送制度。省级发展改革委、有关中央企业要建立产能监测体系，对本地区、本企业的城轨车辆制造、组装和牵引、制动、信号系统产能等情况进行调查，于每年3月底前将上年度情况报送国家发展改革委产业协调司。同时加强产能发布和预警以及引导企业合理投资。省级发展改革委、有关中央企业要根据城轨车辆市场供需、产能预警情况，引导企业投资和市场预期，避免盲目投资。中国城市轨道交通协会要围绕防范和化解产能过剩，积极开展政策解读、新闻宣传、调查研究等工作，进一步加强行业自律，引导会员企业合理投资。
其次，“通知”强调要注意完善投资项目监管，明确项目管理监督责任。加强对城轨车辆及牵引、制动、信号系统投资项目的事中事后监管。与此同时，省级发展改革委要采取有效措施，严格控制本地区城轨车辆新增产能。城轨车辆产能利用率低于80%的地区，不得新增城轨车辆产能。企业申请建设扩大城轨车辆产能项目，上两个年度产能利用率应均高于80%。
再次，“通知”鼓励加快产业结构调整，优化产业布局结构，推动企业业务转型，提升企业竞争实力。城轨装备制造企业要加强自主创新能力建设，加快掌握核心技术，研发先进适用的城轨车辆，形成自主知识产权，提高自主化、智能化、绿色化、服务化水平。要加强资本、技术等合作，积极开展兼并重组和战略协作，不断增强市场竞争力。
最后，“通知”强调促进产业规范发展，构建中国标准城轨装备体系，加快实施城轨装备认证，加强城轨项目招投标监管——省级发展改革委要加强对城轨项目招投标活动的监督管理，对违法项目招标投标与生产企业投资设厂相捆绑等行为，严格予以查处，坚决遏制地方保护主义，维护市场秩序。要创新招投标方式方法，大力推广电子招投标，实行全流程在线交易、信息公开和动态监督，营造良好的市场环境。
尽管评估323号文的影响需要较长时间，但考虑到省级发改委将全面领导城市轨道交通投资项目的行政监管工作，特此建议各位投资者在进行此类投资项目前与项目相关发改委进行深入沟通。
On March 9th, 2018, the General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) released the Circular on Issues Relating to Strengthen the Monitor of Urban Rail Transit Vehicles Investment Projects ([Fa Gai Ban Chan Ye [2018] No. 323]) (the “Circular 323”).
Circular 323 is aiming to monitor the urban rail transit vehicles investment projects as well as the related traction, braking and signal system investment projects through (i) strengthening the production capacity monitor and early warning; (ii) improving the administration of investment projects; (iii) expediting industrial restructuring; and (iv) optimizing the industry’s regulated development.
Among others, following are the issues worth further attention -
First of all, Circular 323 announces that the provincial-level NDRC will formulate the administrative measures for the investment projects of urban rail transit vehicles, and its traction, braking and signal systems, while Circular 323 itself does not provide detailed time schedule for said legislation, which shall be further clarified by NDRC.
Secondly, Circular 323 reveals central government’s intention to strictly control the newly-added production capacity of urban rail transit vehicles by adopting two 80% thresholds. For regions with the capacity utilization lower than 80%, it is not allowed to add new capacity. For the manufacturer applying for capacity expansion, its capacity utilization in the previous two years shall both exceed 80%.
Thirdly, for the purpose of upgrading technical requirement, Circular 323 defines the scope of investment projects by illustration. For example, the traction systems investment project shall include manufacture, integration, R&D, testing, inspection and other sectors of the key assembly such as traction converter, auxiliary converter, electric machinery etc. The signal systems investment projects shall include R&D, integration, testing and verification and other sectors of ATS , ATP , ATO , CI of vehicles and their subsystems. Due to the reason that the above scope is in form of illustration, it is worthy to consult the provincial-level NDRC regarding the scope of a specific investment project in advance.
Circular 323 has also announced the establishment of capacity information reporting system. By the end of March every year, the provincial-level NDRC and the central administrated state owned enterprises shall submit an annual report to NDRC, which shall cover the data regarding capacity scale, construction progress, sales revenue, utilization rate of capacity, etc. of the established, under construction or under planning investment projects in local regions or of the enterprise.
Meanwhile, Circular 323 encourages the establishment of the PRC standard for urban rail transit equipment and promotes product certification by encouraging the use of certified products.
Although it will take more time to evaluate the influence of Circular 323, in consideration the provincial-level NDRC will lead the administrative monitor of the urban rail transit vehicle investment project in all aspects, we hereby recommend the investors who have such investment projects on plan to conduct prior and thorough communication with the in-charge NDRC where the projects will be located.
