Administrative Simplification and Reducing Burdens

Most OECD countries have made policies to reduce administrative burdens - cutting red tape - a political priority. Red tape is particularly burdensome to smaller companies and may inhibit entrepreneurship. These effects are more costly in global markets, where competitiveness can be affected by the efficiency of the domestic regulatory and administrative environment. Unnecessary reporting requirements are also affecting citizens and large firms. Results are wanted.

What can governments do? Strategies include reviews of the stock of regulations, reduction of administrative burdens; codification; simplification of administrative procedures and reengineering; better multi-level co-ordination; and rapid introduction of e-government services. Supported by taskforces and advisory committees, governments increasingly locate responsibility in a central administrative unit. This "whole-of-government" approach represents a major step in recent years, embedding administrative simplification in the overall regulatory quality system at the national level.

For further information please contact daniel.trnka@oecd.org

Downloads and related:

• Administrative Simplification for Citizens in Hungary (May 2012)
• Buenas prácticas en la aplicación de la Guía para Mejorar la Calidad Regulatoria de Trámites Estatales y Municipales e Impulsar la Competitividad de México (2011, Spanish)
• Cutting Red Tape: Administrative Simplification in Poland - Making Policies Perform (2011)
• Cutting Red Tape: Why Is Administrative Simplification So Complicated? Looking Beyond 2010
• Cutting Red Tape: National Strategies for Administrative Simplification, available in French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. A Policy Brief is also available.
• Overcoming barriers to Administrative Simplification Strategies: Guidance for Policy Makers
• Cutting Red Tape: Comparing Administrative Burdens across Countries 
• Making Life Easy for Citizens and Businesses in Portugal: Administrative Simplification and e-Government (December 2008)
• Administrative Simplification in the Netherlands (2007)
• From Red Tape to Smart Tape: Administrative Simplification in OECD Countries (2003)
• Successful Practices and Policies to Promote Regulatory Reform and Entrepreneurship at the Sub-national Level
• Tuempresa.gov.mx: A One-Stop Shop for Quick and Easy Business Start-ups in Mexico
• Strengthening Competitiveness in Mexico

Access the Cutting Red Tape series on OECD iLibrary.