In Baden-Württemberg, companies are under pressure from growing bureaucracy. The Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BWIHK) has now put forward concrete proposals to defuse the situation and relieve the burden on companies.
The demands from the business community are unmistakable: the green-black state government is being called upon to push forward measures to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. Christian Erbe, President of the BWIHK, commented on this in Stuttgart and described the reduction of bureaucracy as a "free economic stimulus package" that would not cause any additional costs for the state.
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Ministry: 90 percent of costs attributable to EU and federal government
According to the State Ministry of Economic Affairs, around 90 percent of the bureaucracy costs are due to regulations and requirements of the European Union and the federal government. Only ten percent of the bureaucracy costs are borne by the state and municipalities. For 2023, the annual bureaucracy costs for the economy at the national level were estimated at around 66 billion euros.
According to Erbe, the confusing abundance of regulations has reached an overwhelming level that poses an existential threat to many companies. "Many hours of effort" are necessary to meet the requirements of the regulations. A complete digital handling of all communication and procedural processes is urgently required here.
Praise for reform of the state building regulations
Erbe also highlights the positive fact that politicians are working to reduce the density of regulations. Before the summer break, the state government had already made some progress that would make things easier for companies. The reform of the state building regulations in particular was described as an important signal, as it is intended to simplify and speed up procedures.
Nevertheless, Erbe warns against additional burdens, such as the controversial Equal Treatment Act, which is intended to make it easier for citizens to defend themselves against discrimination by authorities. "Such a law would be in clear contradiction to the reduction targets," he stresses. He calls on the state government to rethink its position and demands that the assessments of the Regulatory Control Council, which has also warned against new bureaucracy, be taken into account.
Erbe is calling for a clear change in the handling of approval procedures and documentation requirements. Every procedure should be considered legally concluded if no final decision has been made within eight weeks. The requirements for subsequent documentation could also be relaxed in order not to place unnecessary burdens on companies.
– NAG
Source: die-nachrichten.at