Chapter I General Provisions of the Articles of Association of Rural Economic Cooperatives in Zhejiang Province

Article 1 In order to stabilize and improve the two-tier management system based on household contract management, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of village economic cooperatives and their members, promote the development of rural collective economy, and promote the construction of new socialist countryside, these Regulations are formulated in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and relevant laws, combined with the actual situation of this province.

Article 2 The term "village economic cooperatives" as mentioned in these Regulations refers to rural collective economic organizations that are collectively owned, operated cooperatively, managed democratically and serve their members under the dual-tier management system in rural areas.

Article 3 These Regulations shall apply to the establishment, division, merger, operation and termination of village economic cooperatives within the administrative area of this province.

Article 4 A village economic cooperative shall, on behalf of all its members, exercise the ownership of collective property according to law and enjoy the autonomy to conduct economic activities independently. If the village economic cooperative is not established, the ownership of the village collective property shall be exercised by the villagers' committee.

The property owned by the village collective is protected by law, and it is forbidden for any unit or individual to occupy, plunder, privately divide or destroy the property owned by the village collective.

Article 5 A village economic cooperative shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, rules and articles of association, and respect and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its members and other collective economic organizations in the village.

Article 6 Village economic cooperatives shall accept the supervision of township people's governments (including sub-district offices of villages under their jurisdiction, the same below), assist and cooperate with the work of villagers' committees, provide necessary funds for village-level organizations to perform their duties, and rationally arrange the funds needed for village public affairs and public welfare undertakings.

The villagers' committee shall respect and support the autonomy of village economic cooperatives to independently carry out economic activities according to law, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of village economic cooperatives and their members.

Seventh village economic cooperatives undertake the functions of resource development and utilization, asset management, production development and service, financial management and distribution.

Village economic cooperatives shall perform the following specific duties according to law:

(a) to protect and manage the land owned or used by village collectives, as well as forests, mountains, wasteland, beaches and other resources;

(two) the management of village collective owned resource assets, operating assets and public welfare assets, organize the contracting and leasing of collective assets in various industries, and expand property management;

(3) Providing services required by members for production, operation and life;

(four) establish and improve the village collective asset management, financial accounting, democratic financial management, income distribution and property rights system.

Article 8 People's governments at all levels shall encourage and support the development of village economic cooperatives, formulate specific measures, give support in terms of capital, land use, transportation, water supply and power supply, and provide them with necessary public services.

People's governments at all levels shall, in accordance with the principles of legality, voluntariness, democracy and justice, encourage and support qualified village economic cooperatives to carry out shareholding system reform.

Article 9 The administrative department of agriculture of the people's governments of provinces, cities and counties (districts) shall be responsible for the business guidance, service and supervision of village economic cooperatives within their respective administrative areas.

Township people's governments are responsible for providing specific guidance and services to the establishment, election, operation and termination of village economic cooperatives.

Finance, finance, industry and commerce, quality supervision, land, construction, water conservancy, transportation, forestry, science and technology, electricity, water supply and other departments and units shall, according to their respective responsibilities, do a good job in supporting and providing services.