Simplification

Administrative simplification aims to reduce the complexity and uncertainty of regulations and to minimize formalities. It tries to reduce the burden for businesses and citizens of complying with the ever-growing information requirements and formalities of administration. Simplification starts with a review of the stock of administrative regulations and formalities resulting from these regulations. Simplifying the existing regulatory framework and formalities must not compromise the purposes of the regulations. This is often referred to as cutting red tape.

It uses tools such as the Standard Cost Model, codification, standardization, by e-government and use of ICT, streamlining of processes (?) =Relevance for Trade Facilitation= Simplification is one of the @four pillars of trade facilitation. The others are harmonization, standardization and transparency. Simplification stands for objectives such as reduction of documents, eliminating information duplication, and eliminating and re-organizing processes to simplify procedures, such as at border crossings.

Compliance with the multiple formalities and information requirements results in direct costs for business and constitutes barriers for their activity by reducing productivity and competitiveness. Simplification can deliver service more cost efficiently and remove resources from compliance.
 * Benefits**

This is the idea that underpins the Doing Business Report of the World Bank. The “red tape” in various sectors, including trading across borders, is reviewed on an annual basis.

Administrative simplification aims at optimizing government formalities by eliminating steps and duplications, reducing the number of formalities and information requirements, and the use of ICT to make information exchange and re-use of data easier. Simplification approaches build on business process re-engineering, and document simplification. Review and streamlining can be undertaken at the agency level as well as cross-agency. It may lead to a re-organization of business processes in the form of a so-called Single Window or one-stop shop.
 * Approaches**