Less bureaucracy for businesses

The Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts is collecting suggestions from companies: Where would reducing bureaucracy be beneficial? Where are the problems caused by overly complicated forms or slow administrative processes?

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

"Skilled trades need less bureaucracy!" Hans Hund called for a policy that, by consistently removing unnecessary obligations, would revive the spirit of entrepreneurship and create more freedom. The president of the Münster Chamber of Skilled Trades (HWK) criticized the fact that bureaucratic obstacles caused by fees, documentation requirements, lengthy approval procedures, and high investment requirements lead to crippling competitive disadvantages for small and medium-sized enterprises compared to larger providers. Complexity, lack of clarity, incomprehensibility, and delays also contribute to government disenchantment.

The Chamber of Crafts and Trades (HWK) is collecting suggestions for reducing bureaucracy to incorporate into the craft organization's policy positions. Businesses are asked to contribute: "We want to know from them where bureaucracy is causing problems. Anyone with suggestions and tips for simplifying or accelerating procedures and forms can contact us," explained Managing Director Thomas Banasiewicz.

All suggestions, if suitable, will be included in the list of bureaucracy reduction ideas for discussions between the craft trade organization and the federal and state governments. "In this way, practical advice can contribute to reducing the burden for all businesses," Banasiewicz said.

From the Chamber of Crafts and Trades' perspective, the federal and state governments have already taken steps in the right direction. However, there remains a fear that the plans do not go far enough. Bureaucracy is a burden due to the multitude of details. Therefore, Hund appealed, the focus should not be on the minutiae, but on a significant reduction in the burden, a major step forward.

Flash survey by the Chamber of Crafts on bureaucratic burdens

In a recent flash survey conducted by the Chamber of Crafts and Trades (HWK), 111 companies from all sectors provided answers about their specific bureaucratic burdens.

The respondents see the main causes as being Tax Law (23 percent), occupational health and safety (19 percent), Labour and social law and data protection (18 percent). This is followed by waste disposal (8 percent) and Public building law (7 percent). Through Statistics and environmental law 6 percent feel stressed.

Cause the least problems Foreign trade regulations (3 percent), Transport and logistics (2 percent) and Food hygiene and the pioneering vocational training (1 percent each). 

The companies surveyed provided information about their annual time spent on bureaucratic tasks. Over half (55 percent) spend more than 100 hours annually solely on bureaucratic work. Only 6 percent of respondents estimate 1 to 25 hours per year. The remaining responses are evenly distributed between 25 and 100 hours.

Companies want a consultancy-oriented administration

To reduce bureaucracy, 36 percent of respondents advocate for simplified forms through more understandable language and standardization for similar issues. 18 percent want central contact points (single point of contact) that consolidate individual administrative processes. 13 percent believe that more advisory support from administrations and government agencies with the goal of obtaining approval is important. 

Companies also favor automatic approval after a deadline, provided the deadline is not too long (13 percent). They also cited the desire for e-administration through digitalization (9 percent) and service promises with deadline targets for speedy administrative processes (8 percent).

The HWK contact person for ideas on reducing bureaucracy is Thomas Oestreich
Tel .: 0251 / 5203-306
thomas.oestreich@hwk-muenster.de