The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development has welcomed a presentation from the Department of Small Business Development on a programme to reduce red tape.

The programme was established in line with the Red Tape Reduction Unit (RTRU) in the Presidency, which aims to reduce unnecessary rules, regulations, processes and procedures hindering participation in key areas of the economy.

In its presentation, the department outlined various key challenges small businesses and cooperatives face and the proposed measures to address them. Currently, the department is implementing the Pilot Administrative Simplification Programme (PASP) in association with the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the South African Local Government Association.

The PASP targets access to infrastructure; complaints management; municipal policies, by-laws and regulations; land development; building plan approval timelines and processes; as well as informal trading management, among other things.

Committee Chairperson Ms Violet Siwela said: “We are pleased to know that the department is hard at work in implementing measures to address red tape challenges facing our SMMEs and cooperatives.” Ms Siwela also noted that the committee will continuously monitor the PASP programme to ensure red tape challenges are addressed decisively.