Both the finance minister and the new minister for small business development have laid down a few cards before the public in support of small businesses and economic growth. We’re glad to see they’re tossing some of their chips in to help eradicate red tape.
It won’t be difficult to focus the minds of the cabinet. Small business development minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni merely has to gazette section 18 of the National Small Business Act to require each minister to conduct regulatory assessments of every policy, law or regulation issued. The impact on small businesses would have to be considered so that they could be offered relief, or considered for specific special treatment if necessary.
This is not a problem unique to SA, and as part of our “new dawn”, we could look at the way the sun is setting on red tape in other jurisdictions. Vietnam is abolishing and simplifying unclear and unfeasible business prerequisites before the third quarter of 2019 and plans to reduce the number of imports and goods subject to inspections by half. The trade and industry minister commented: “A business investing in high-tech farming [currently] will have to go through 16 doors and 40 procedures to finally win the privilege it legally deserves.”