Entrepreneurs have to deal with numerous laws, regulations and permits in their day-to-day business operations. The Cabinet wants to simplify the regulatory burden, by for example reviewing contradictory rules, cancelling permits and licences, reducing administrative and supervisory burdens and improving services. This will give the business sector more time to do business.

The entrepreneurs' perception of the burden is the leading factor,  therefore the Cabinet has asked entrepreneurs to help draw up a picture of the main problem areas.

The regulatory burden should be noticeably less by 2011. Regulations and laws will still be necessary to guarantee safety and honesty and to counter unfair competition. The Government will therefore have to strike a balance between the interests of entrepreneurs and the general public interest.

This approach is part of the Reducing the Regulatory Burden for Businesses programme. Individual Ministries will be responsible for tackling the regulatory burdens ensuing from their own laws and regulations. The state secretaries for Economic Affairs and Finance are coordinating the programme, which is based on the findings of OECD and the World Bank, recommendations from Actal, experience in other countries, advice from the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) and the Dutch Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MKB Nederland), and experiences from within the Ministries.

Aims of the Balkenende IV Cabinet:

• Administrative burdens have to drop by another 25 percent during this Cabinet term;
• Complying with rules will become cheaper for entrepreneurs , and these costs should be proportionate to the general interests served by the rules;
• The quality of inspections have to improve;
• The burdens of inspections have to be reduced by an average of 25 percent;
• The procedure for granting permits and licences have to be speeded up;
• It has to become simpler and faster to apply for a permit;
• Services to entrepreneurs must be improved and made faster;
• Information services to entrepreneurs must be improved.