PUTRAJAYA: The government is currently working towards having a Red Tape Challenge (RTC) programme to follow the footsteps of developed economies which saw billions in savings with its implementation, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said the red tape issues faced by the industries would be identified via the Unified Public Consultation (UPC) portal.
“These issues will then be reviewed and sent back to the respective ministries concerned for action to be taken or for it to be resolved.
“This then becomes the “Red Tape Challenge” for the ministry or agency concerned,” she said in her speech at the closing ceremony of National Convention On Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) 2019, here today. Her speech was read by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Darell Leiking.
Wan Azizah said the establishment of UPC provided members of the public easy access to regulatory consultations through a single website.
“Malaysians living locally and abroad, can register their names and participate in any regulation review or make suggestions on issues that are affecting them through the UPC portal,“ she said.
The ministries or its agencies among others were required to furnish the consultation documents for the public to better understand the introduction of regulation; the purpose of review of regulations; the issue surrounding the regulations; and, analysis of the regulations, she said.
From March to last September, there were 23 ministries and agencies that participated in the UPC and 36 consultation documents were received which had been uploaded for public feedback, she said.
“The total number of registered users has reached 3,252 and of this figure, 1,156 are from the public sector with the remaining 2,096 from the private sector,” she said, adding that as of Sept 29, the total number of visitors to the portal stood at 74,554.
She said improving the Government’s Regulatory Delivery System through reducing regulatory constraints was one of the structural reforms on the government’s agenda.
Wan Azizah added, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) had conducted 697 regulation reviews in the first six months of this year, an improvement of the 414 reviews for the whole of last year.
“As a result, the council has successfully assisted ministries and agencies in achieving a total compliance cost savings of RM1.32 billion in the first six months of this year, compared with RM1.67 billion in the entire 2018,” she said.
“We expect that towards the end of the year, these cost compliance savings will increase for the benefit of business communities,“ she added. — Bernama
