Government wants relief: a “make a wish” for reducing bureaucracy

Where is bureaucracy annoying the most? The federal government has put this question to a number of associations. The result was a list of 442 suggestions. It is now to be examined which of these could end up in legislation.

Easier expansion of mobile phone networks or simpler applications for rehabilitation measures: the federal government had commissioned a survey to find out which bureaucratic hurdles plague entrepreneurs, employees, freelancers and clubs the most. The result has now been presented.

With the help of the Federal Statistical Office, the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Benjamin Strasser, who is responsible for reducing bureaucracy, drew up a list of 442 proposals from the responses of the 57 associations that took part, which are intended to provide as much relief as possible.

Inspection of the land register, simpler procedures, clear deadlines

One proposal, for example, envisages giving companies that operate mobile networks the right to inspect the land register. This would allow them to approach private owners of land and buildings that are suitable locations for radio towers more quickly. As a result, the mobile network expansion would probably progress more quickly.

The Federal Association of German Bus Companies would like procurement procedures to be designed in such a way that every private bus company can participate in tenders in the future. So far, these procedures have been so complicated that companies often cannot do it without the help of a law firm or a specialist advisor.

The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) wants reforms when applying for rehabilitation measures. If these were less complicated, according to the DGB, a reduction in earning capacity or early retirement could be avoided in a number of cases.

And the Federal Association of German Industry, the German Farmers’ Association and the Association of Municipal Enterprises would like authorities to be obliged to at least check within certain periods of time whether all the necessary documents have been submitted or whether something is still missing.

List is sorted according to various criteria

According to its own statements, the FDP-led Federal Ministry of Justice deliberately did not want to design this process from above, but from below, and with the association query let those who are ultimately affected have their say. State Secretary Strasser was very satisfied with the procedure:

This “wish-for-you-what” of reducing bureaucracy is sorted according to criteria such as compliance costs, potential for acceleration and scope. In addition, it was examined to what extent those affected experience the legal requirements or the procedure to which a proposal refers as incomprehensible.

Proposals are now being considered

Of the 442 suggestions, the Federal Statistical Office sorted 157 suggestions into Category 1. That means they are considered “potentially suitable for direct legal measures by the departments or in a further bureaucracy relief law”.

The proposals are now being examined by the various federal ministries. The aim is to present a draft bill for a bureaucracy relief law before the end of this year.

With information from Bianca Schwarz, ARD capital studio.