2024-02-18 03:59:29
Already in the second half of the year, businesses and people in Bulgaria are expected to feel the effects of the reduction in the administrative burden – fewer required documents and shortening of the deadlines for the performance of certain services. This is what Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Ivaylo Shotev says about BTA. He was asked for a comment in connection with the Draft Decision of the Council of Ministers on the adoption of a Plan for reducing the administrative burden published for public discussion. The Ministry of Economy, together with a number of other departments, is committed to the implementation of normative changes in more than seven laws, which aim to simplify the communication of businesses and citizens with the administration, BTA specifies.
The philosophy of the changes is aimed at eliminating some required documents, and when they are available in the administration, they should not be required additionally by companies and people using a certain type of service, but should be procured through official means, and a reduction of certain administrative deadlines, said Deputy Minister Shotev. Among the documents that will be procured by official or electronic means are those proving legal capacity, employment relationship, information on the presence or absence of charges, copies of sketches, cadastral data.
The stages
The Deputy Minister pointed out that for the Ministry, reducing the administrative burden on businesses and consumers is a top priority. He reminded that this process started in Bulgaria in 2016 with changes in the Law on normative acts, which introduced the assessment of the impact of normative acts by studying the social, environmental and other effects of their implementation. One of the main elements of this preliminary assessment is the determination of the regulatory burden, with the aim that each normative act achieves its reduction, except in exceptional situations, when its increase can be argued, the Deputy Minister pointed out. The impact on SMEs is an integral part of the assessment. The planned regulatory changes to reduce the administrative burden are also in the context of Bulgaria’s accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, related to the implementation of the planned changes in the current laws contained in the relevant negotiation files. Some of the proposed changes are also included in the Program for the Management of Bulgaria of the current government, and in general it is about 280 measures that are spread over 102 laws in the portfolios of various departments.
The proposals
For example, with a change in Art. 181, para. 1 item 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, the requirement to provide a certificate of registration and current status by a body that wishes to be recognized as an alternative dispute resolution body is removed. In this way, when an application for recognition is submitted, there will no longer be a need to submit certificates, the deputy minister explained.
With the proposals for changes to the Law on the Administrative Regulation of the Production of Optical Discs and Matrixes, it is expected that the collection of information in the administrative proceedings for issuing a license for such activity will become official. Applicants are now required to provide documents that can be procured officially, such as an up-to-date certificate of entry in the commercial register, a criminal record certificate of the individual representing the applicant, a certificate from the investigative services that no pre-trial proceedings have been initiated against him, certificate of registration of received source identification code (SID-code), a notarized copy of a lease agreement or a notarial deed of ownership, accompanied by a sketch or other certifying document for the location of the production, storage and service premises in the property in which the capacities for the production of optical discs or matrices, etc. are installed. Another proposal in the same law will simplify the requirements for the content of the notification that the companies importing and exporting raw materials for the production of optical discs submit to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, and this information is also established in an official way.
With proposals for changes to the Law on Arms, Ammunition, Explosives and Pyrotechnic Products, it will also become possible to collect information in the administrative procedure for issuing a permit for the production of these products. At the moment, the applicant is required a copy of a certificate of entry in the relevant register under the national legislation of the respective member state in a legalized translation into Bulgarian, a permit to use the objects or another document replacing it, issued in accordance with the order of the ZUT, and/or a certificate of compliance certifying the suitability of a mobile explosives production facility. The proposed changes are within the competences of the Directorate for National and Construction Supervision and the Ministry of the Environment and Water, therefore their opinions are requested during the preliminary approval of the Plan.
The activity of independent evaluators will also be eased with the proposed changes to the sectoral law. Circumstances will be determined on an official basis during the procedures for participation in the examination for the acquisition of legal capacity and for registration for the exercise of activity as a company of an independent appraiser.
With changes to the Law on Commodity Exchanges and Markets, it is proposed to introduce an obligation to publicize the registers of the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Markets, as well as ex officio collection of information in the administrative proceedings for issuing a license to establish and carry out activity as a commodity exchange.
With the introduction of the term “public electronic registers”, another step is taken for digitalization in the public sector, which contributes to the easier exchange of information between individual administrations, to improving the quality of services and achieving the main goals of e-government, namely increasing the satisfaction of citizens and businesses.
Expectations for the business climate
We believe that the proposed changes to reduce the administrative burden will support the business environment in the country, said Deputy Minister Ivaylo Shotev. He cites the latest data of the statistics, according to which there is a growth of the business climate by 3 points for January 2024 compared to December 2023 in all economic spheres.
Currently, in the Global Innovation Index – Global Innovation Index (GII), Bulgaria occupies 38th place for 2023, Shotev pointed out. The Global Innovation Index examines 132 economies through indicators that cover economic and innovation development and trends worldwide. In this ranking, the first 30 places are occupied by countries that have competitive advantages over other countries. In view of the need for Bulgaria to climb among them, comprehensive work should be done on the improvement of a larger number of indicators, the deputy minister pointed out. He reminded that our country was in 40th place in this ranking in 2019, in 37th place in 2020, in 35th place in 2021. In 2023, it took 38th place in the world and 25th place out of 39 economies in Europe.
In the “Institutions” section, the “Business environment” area of the ranking, where indicators that reflect the conditions for doing business in the country and policies to support entrepreneurship, our country was in 63rd place. In the “Regulatory environment” area of this section, Bulgaria ranks 39th in the world. Quality of regulations (49th place), legislation – 63rd place, etc. are reported as leading indicators for regulatory policy.