People visit a real-estate sales center. （File photo/China News Service）
(ECNS) -- The National Reform and Development Commission, China's top economic planner, has urged cities with a population of 3 to 5 million to relax restrictions on household registration.
China has pushed reform of its household registration system in recent years, cancelling all restrictions in towns with permanent residents of less than 1 million. Cities with 1 to 3 million permanent residents in their downtown areas, known as Class II cities, are also required to lift all restrictions. The directive urges Class I cities with 3 to 5 million permanent residents in their downtown areas to fully ease or terminate restrictions.
Oversized megacities should adjust and improve their point-based household registration permit, or hukou policy, which means non-natives of the city are eligible to accumulate points to gain a hukou after meeting certain requirements such as records in social insurance programs.
The directive said megacities need to increase the number of household permits issued to applicants and simplify the point-based measure, focusing on two parameters – social insurance records and number of years living in the city.
The commission said efforts are also needed to allow permanent residents in rented homes to become eligible for a hukou.
