(1) (a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Moses Kotane Local Municipality in North West, the turnaround times for payment to small businesses have been reduced to the required 30 days period.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. However, in terms of Moses Kotane Local Municipality the by-laws are reviewed every two years.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on turnaround times regarding complains on service delivery from 48 to 24 hours.