Why is ICP license so important to the online loan industry?
In the policy issued by the regulatory authorities, the telecom business license required by the platform is ICP business license, also known as Internet information service license, which belongs to value-added telecom business. Wang Haimei, a researcher, said in an interview with the reporter of Economic Daily that the previously issued Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services stipulated that those engaged in Internet information services should apply to the telecommunications regulatory agencies of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government or the competent information industry department of the State Council for the business license of value-added telecommunications services for Internet information services. According to the regulations, those who engage in operating Internet information services without a business license will be confiscated, fined and even ordered to close the website.
It can be seen that P2P online lending platform, as a website engaged in operating Internet information services, will also become the first step of its legal operation in the future. As a supporting trading platform for investors and financiers, online lending platform provides information services for investors and financiers and charges them service fees. It is a typical operation information service platform, so ICP business license is very important for online lending platform. Wang, CEO of a platform, said that according to the Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services and the Notice on the Filing of Internet Information Services License, Internet information services must apply for ICP certificates, otherwise they are illegal operations.
According to incomplete statistics, by the end of August, 20 16, there were 2,235 P2P platforms operating normally in China, of which about 222 platforms had valid ICP business licenses, accounting for 10% of the total number of platforms operating normally in the online lending industry. In other words, most platforms are operating without a license.
At present, most platforms without ICP license have not applied or the previously submitted applications are still under approval. What is certain is that after the introduction of the new online loan regulations, the threshold for ICP license application will be improved, and the approval methods in different regions are different, but most of them need the approval of local financial management departments.
Although the ICP business license is valid for 5 years, the annual inspection system is implemented. If the annual inspection fails, the certificate will be invalid. The Measures for the Administration of Telecommunication Business License stipulates that telecommunication business operators shall submit annual inspection materials to the original issuing authority in the first quarter of the following year. Those who do not participate in the annual inspection or do not meet the requirements shall be ordered by the telecommunications regulatory agency to make corrections and be given corresponding administrative penalties according to law; If it is rectified on time, it will pass the annual inspection after rectification; Refuses to correct, for the annual inspection is unqualified. According to the Communication Industry Association, if the annual inspection fails, the ICP license will be invalid and it will take one year to reapply.