Members of the Committee for Handling Proposals have submitted several proposals related to the fight against COVID-19, with a focus on disease prevention and control efforts and also economic and social development. 

Wang Huizhen: Helping companies to resume operations as soon as possible 

The economy faces a severe test, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in fields like retail, catering, logistics and recreation, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Below are some detailed suggestions:

1. Helping related companies to resume operations as soon as possible 

When the disease first broke out, companies in different provinces and cities delayed their return to work in order to control the spread of infections. This badly affected their manufacturing and supply; especially the supply of daily necessities. I suggest taking effective measures to help companies to resume production, in order to avoid shortages of goods and materials and the panic that may cause. 

2. Giving a guarantee of priority to production lines of anti-epidemic goods and materials 

The disease outbreak caused a shortage of face masks and disinfectant as people's need for such things increased a hundredfold. Although some companies have temporarily transformed their factories to produce the masks, they are stymied by a lack of raw materials. I suggest authorities offer convenient means to transport raw materials.

3. Setting up special loans for small and micro companies 

During the outbreak, many companies have to pay salaries, rent, daily operation costs and taxes without any production or operation income. If the working fund problem is not solved in a timely fashion, some companies, especially small and micro ones, will quickly close down. 

I suggest that anti-epidemic loans be provided to small and micro companies and that their examination and approval should be simple and speedy. The maximum loan should be one million yuan ($143,600) and the loan period should be two years. 

If companies can provide business registration certificates, identification papers of their main representatives, address certificates and the most recent three-month records of their main operation accounts, they can apply for the loan. 

4. Offering SMEs financing loan guarantees 

I suggest financial organizations offer SMEs one-time low-interest loans and that the maximum loan be five million yuan. The loan period should be three years and governments should offer guarantees worth, at most, 70 percent of the loan. 

I believe the guarantee plan could reduce the examination and approval time and help SMEs receive working funds in the shortest time.

5. Postponing repayment of principal property mortgage loans 

I suggest financial organizations allow individuals and companies affected by the disease to apply to repay only interest now and principal loans later, to ease pressure, and the period should be 12 months. 

6. Individuals and companies may apply to postpone paying insurance premiums and I suggest the period of grace should be six months. 

7. Postponing handing in value-added and corporate income taxes 

I suggest companies affected by the epidemic apply to postpone payment of taxes by up to six months. Meanwhile, the authorities may consider cutting the rate of value-added taxes in the first quarter of 2020 by two percent. 

8. Developing new operation models 

In recent years, individual e-commerce business platforms have developed well, but companies continue to make bulk purchases from physical stores and large fairs. Due to the epidemic, many fairs have been canceled or delayed. Producers cannot attract orders, and overseas purchasers also lack commodities. 

I suggest governments offer incentives and policies to promote companies' development and new operation models. 

(Wang is vice-chairman of the Committee for Handling Proposals of the CPPCC National Committee, and vice-chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of HKSAR.)

Qi Jianguo: Use science to defeat the epidemic 

Prevention and control of the disease is in a key and difficult stage and it is important to use science and technology. 

First, we must scientifically predict and model the epidemic spread. We must use technological tools such as big data to analyze and judge the epidemic's development. 

Second, we should strengthen the role of scientific and technological personnel. The leading epidemic work groups in regions at and above the county level should include such people. 

A scientific decision-making mechanism should be established for epidemic prevention and control, and scientific and technological personnel should be given full rights to know, suggest and participate in decision-making. 

Third, we should comply with objective laws. The fight against the disease is unique, and we should change traditional working methods accordingly. For example, to scientifically assign tasks, rather than only using administrative orders and compulsory methods; to scientifically allocate resources, rather than just distributing things equally; to scientifically implement work, rather than requiring too much. 

Fourth, we should protect medical workers using all means at our disposal. In this battle, medical workers are the backbone of our force. We can establish need lists for workers and arrange training in rotation in key treatment hospitals, when it is necessary. 

Powerful medical reserve teams should be built as soon as possible, considering the potential need for a protracted fight against the disease. 

Fifth, joint defense and control is also important. We can build such teams combining professional prevention and control forces, militia reserve services and professional guarantee forces. We can also consider using military transportation forces, including helicopters, to carry urgent goods and medical workers in key epidemic areas in Hubei. 

Meanwhile, it is necessary to use ways to widely gather the general public's opinions. 

(Qi is vice-chairman of the Committee for Handling Proposals of the CPPCC National Committee, former deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department under the Central Military Commission.)

Fang Laiying: Emphasis not only on "treatment" but also on "prevention"

I am from the medicine and health group and also a member of the Committee for Handling Proposals. I think the 14 measures of the committee are very timely.

Currently, the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia is moving towards a good situation. I suggest we should take note of several aspects of this. 

First, pay more attention to prevention. I hope to hear more voices from among epidemiologists. Several anti-epidemic experts and community hygiene experts will be organized to facilitate disease control in communities. 

It is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of different prevention and control measures. This is not only significant for guiding current anti-epidemic work, but also helpful to the country's future disease control system and handling public health emergencies. 

Second, the modern population is highly mobile across regions, and so prevention and control of infectious diseases should be taken across the whole country. Different regions have different epidemic situations, risks, and prevention and control methods, but the evaluation dimension is the same. 

Third, study and judge in advance. What are the standards for Wuhan to allow the inflow and outflow of people? How will the related procedures be designed? What are the standards for different regions to adjust prevention and control measures? How to implement these adjustments?

Four, reading statistical reports from different regions, I suggest we unify data-related standards. 

(Fang is former Party secretary of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning.)