The Mittelstand businesses still perceive an increasing bureaucratic burden despite various instruments and initiatives by politicians to reduce bureaucracy. Prof Dr Welter (IfM Bonn/University of Siegen) recommended in her keynote speech at an event of the SPD Economic Forum at the end of November that the consequences of regulations and directives for small businesses should always be taken into account by all participating ministries.
The IfM president also pointed out that the understanding of bureaucracy differs considerably between politicians and companies: according to a survey by the IfM Bonn, the vast majority of company representatives define bureaucracy more broadly than politicians, who limit the term to documentation and information obligations as well as to the required compliance effort. The majority of companies, however, also include semi-public requirements of self-governing organisations of the economy, norm institutes or employers' liability insurance associations.
