The authorities plan to give more freedom to entrepreneurs

Minister of Economy and Climate (Economische Zaken en Klimaat, EZK) Mickey Adriaansens will submit the Regulatory Burden Reduction Program for Entrepreneurs to the House of Representatives. On July 8, 2022, the official government portal published New Program Proposal.

Emphasis on MKB

The new government Cabinet Program concerns small and medium-sized businesses (kleine en middelgrote bedrijven - MKB). As the letter to Parliament says, although the government is taking steps to reduce regulatory pressure, entrepreneurs do not notice them enough. «Entrepreneurs want fewer rules”, says Minister Mickey Adriansens.

Now they plan to take a sectoral approach and focus on entrepreneurs in six sectors: hairdressing, hotels and restaurants, steel companies, food manufacturers, construction and repair companies, and clothing sellers. Minister EZK believes: “The approach to regulatory workload has been too dispersed and therefore has not yet led to an optimal outcome. That is why we are now working in more detail by sector in order to develop more targeted solutions.».

"Indicator Companies"

To identify bottlenecks and associated costs, "indicator companies" are used to fulfill legal obligations as MKBs. Then, on the basis of this, industry programs are developed to effectively reduce regulatory pressure. The preparation of such programs is carried out by the government together with companies, industry organizations, government agencies.

The Regulatory Pressure Assessment Advisory Board (Adviescollege Toetsing Regeldruk, ATR), which will become a permanent advisory body of the government, will help streamline the regulatory burden on the MKB. While the question of how the tasks of ATR will be further expanded is being considered.

From the beginning of 2023, the House of Representatives will receive regular progress reports with information on the results of the program. Analysis of the information will be used to see in which sectors or areas the burden of regulation is still high and to determine where a more targeted approach is desirable.

Reaction of business organizations

Representatives of the Dutch employers' federation VNO-NCW and the business association MKB-Nederland say they are pleased with plans to reduce regulatory pressure on entrepreneurs. They also positively assess the sectoral approach of the government. According to representatives of business organizations, it is possible to reduce the regulatory burden by at least 20%. However, they would like to see measurable targets for which the government will be held accountable.MKB