ZDH makes 52 suggestions for reducing bureaucracy

The skilled trades industry's patience is running out. In light of the ever-increasing bureaucratic burden on businesses, the ZDH has put forward 52 proposals for effective bureaucracy reduction and submitted them to State Minister Hendrik Hoppenstedt.

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

The craft businesses are at the end of their performance capacity Not because they are overwhelmed with their actual work, but because immer mehr There are regulations, rules and documentation requirements that have to be fulfilled, which prevent them from carrying out their craft work.

On the topic Bureaucracy and overregulation The blood of many craftsmen is boiling. Sometimes so much so that representatives of various trades are joining forces under the slogan "Handwerk macht mobil" (Handicrafts mobilize) to loudly protest against the "bureaucratic madness." This is what happened in the South Westphalia Chamber of Commerce. Not only there, but throughout Germany, the voices of craftsmen and their organizations are being heard. getting louder.

ZDH does not spare criticism

Whenever it comes to political declarations of intent on the topic of bureaucracy reduction, the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH) forced to intervene critically: "The federal government is failing to reduce bureaucracy on the spot", said ZDH Secretary General Holger Schwannecke At the end of 2018, the Cabinet approved Work program to reduce bureaucracy.

"The Federal Government gives itself a good report in its annual report. However, the proven successes in reducing bureaucracy are not taken into account by craft businesses barely true,” he said a good six months later about the just published Annual report of the Federal Government on the status of bureaucracy reduction.

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Anger and resignation

In September 2019, the government then passed the third bureaucracy reduction lawSchwannecke commented as follows: "With the proposed bill, the Federal Government is losing some of its credibility in reducing bureaucracy. The proposals are disappointingly detailed and will be foreseeable not provide the necessary relief for craft businesses."

Politicians must finally realise that legislation is increasingly geared to the reality of life and the performance of companies passes by. This is what the President of the Crafts Association says Hans Peter Wollseifer now. "Many craftsmen are torn between Anger and resignation given the bureaucratic burden."

Hardly any relief in everyday business life

. 52 demands of the ZDH
Here you can find the position paper "Rethink bureaucracy. Create freedom"According to the ZDH, the federal government’s efforts are regularly into the void. Relief in everyday business life barely noticeable. Therefore, the association has 52 demands for "Unbundling the jungle of paragraphs" and presented them to Hendrik Hoppenstedt (CDU). He is Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor.

"Legislators and administration must rethink", demands Wollseifer. "Everyday business life is overregulated. The jungle of regulations must be consistently cleared." There is a Way out of the dead endThe craft industry's proposals showed the way forward. Now it's up to those responsible in the federal government, the Bundestag, and the administration to follow this path.

Focus on reducing bureaucracy

"The proposals of the trade are based on numerous Conversations, interviews and surveys with craftsmen and women," says the list of demands. The ZDH had placed greater emphasis on reducing bureaucracy in 2019 with various events. For example, the association has Causes of problems in operational practice determined.

The spectrum of proposed measures ranges from Query of VAT identification numbers (avoid repeated queries) up to Data protection certifications (Relief for small and medium-sized enterprises). The demands of the skilled trades are primarily directed at the federal government (also with regard to its influence on European policy) and at state and local authorities.

Seven stress factors

The catalogue of measures is part of a overarching initiative of the Central Association entitled "Rethinking Bureaucracy. Creating Freedom." In the accompanying position paper, the ZDH identifies seven significant stress factors, including, from its point of view, necessary improvements. This involves practical relevance, deceleration, trust, and uniform implementation:

• The political concept of bureaucracy must correspond to the practical understanding of burden.
• Craft businesses need time to spare so that they do not have to react ad hoc to legal changes.
• Laws must not be written for lawyers or tax advisors, but must be formulated and designed to suit the intended audience.
• There is a need for a fundamental change in the mentality of legislation and administrative enforcement towards greater trust in the legal compliance of companies.
• Legislators must take greater account of practical knowledge and experience in order to be able to assess the realistic effects of their regulations.
• Relief also means consistently abolishing regulations without replacement.
• Administration must be digital, service-oriented and uniform.

For the trades, bureaucracy has now become a Growth brake It remains to be hoped that politicians will quickly find ways to accelerate the reduction of bureaucracy.