Permit and licensing regimes - a problem for 50% of businesses

Nearly 50% of businesses, or every second company, point out the great number of permit and licensing regimes as the most significant difficulty in the communication between firms and the State administration, showed a survey of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) carried out in August 2010.

The employers’ organisation asked businesses about the biggest obstacle in their relations with the State administration. According to BCCI Chairman, Tsvetan Simeonov, the big number of licensing and permit regimes is the No 1 problem for 44% of domestic companies.

One-third of the polled companies believe that the lack of services via the Internet is the biggest problem for businesses. A lot of the respondents are convinced that their work is hampered by the failure on the part of the administration to observe the set deadlines. Some 60% of the companies surveyed believe that centralised information systems must be created urgently.

According to half of the participants in the survey, the most important measure should be to put an end to the practice of not seeking responsibility for inadequate fulfillment, for entirely or partially unfulfilled obligations on the part of the State and municipal administration. Firms believe there is no transparency in the operation of the State and municipal administration when holding public procurement procedures and concession procedures, etc. Businesses say there is great need for the introduction of real decentralisation of the administration.