According to a recent survey by IfM Bonn, nine out of ten managers have noticed an increasing bureaucratic burden over the past five years despite the numerous initiatives of the Federal Government. Eight out of ten entrepreneurs even see their enjoyment of entrepreneurial activities dwindle as a result.
Jointly with the former Chairman of the National Regulatory Control Council (NKR), Dr Johannes Ludewig, IfM researchers Dr Annette Icks and Michael Holz discussed how a noticeable reduction in bureaucracy can be achieved and what stands in the way of this. "As the increasing bureaucratic burden is having an ever greater impact on business development and the economy as a whole, there is an urgent need for political action. The analyses of the NKR and IfM Bonn show how bureaucracy can be reduced. The political actors must now show serious political will to reduce bureaucracy, actually implement effective measures and create sustainable structures and processes," state Dr Annette Icks and Michael Holz.
In addition, entrepreneurial expertise should be incorporated to a much greater extent into the legislative system, which is strongly characterised by judicial thinking. The newly introduced “practice checks” offered promising starting points for this.