Bogged down by bureaucracy? Floundering in a sea of forms? If you’re a business owner, red tape can present a frustrating set of hoops to jump through. However, a new government initiative aims to reduce this burden by opening up a dialogue with business people to discover which regulations are working and which aren’t, as well as what should be scrapped, simplified or done differently.
The Red Tape Challenge aims to get rid of some of the 21,000 rules that the government believes are holding back businesses. Every few weeks regulations relating to a specific sector will be published on the website (see address at bottom of article), along with general regulations that relate to all sectors, such as those on equality or health and safety. People are then free to visit the site and pass comment. Their thoughts will be collated by officials and ministers will then have three months to decide which regulations they will scrap. The process will run from April 2011 until April 2013.
Small firms in particular are struggling with the problem of excessive regulation, and a new Chambers of Commerce report found that a significant proportion would employ more staff if this was reduced – which would ease the burden on the economy and help to lift the country out of recession. The survey says that employment legislation, such as pension requirements, dismissal rules and sickness absence rules, deter sole traders from taking on their first employee.
Paul Carvell, senior partner at Stewart Fletcher & Barrett and incumbent chair of the north branch of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, comments: “This scheme represents exactly the type of two-way discourse that I have long argued for in talks with MPs and the business community. It is an extremely positive step forward, and I for one welcome it and urge business owners to get involved and make their voices heard.”
Help cut pointless rules and regulations by telling the government what YOU want to see changed: http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index/
