Reducing the number of licensed activities - another round of liberalization?

The State as a management system at all times and in all countries has provided a key influence on the development of society and all its institutions. The state, having power, forms a broad set of tools and methods to regulate social relations. These include the licensing of certain types of activity as one example of permissive regulatory systems of social relations.

Since some types of business entities may be harmful to both public relations and human life and health, the state took upon itself the function to regulate the conduct of such activities and strictly control it. In this regard, the licensing of certain types of activities can not be considered an institution falling under the scope of civil law. Institute of Licensing belongs mainly to the administrative sphere of legal relations. This proves once again that the state with the mandatory method of administrative and legal regulation under the force to protect its citizens from potential hazards in the legal field.

In the Republic of Belarus based Institute for licensing certain activities of Presidential Decree. This could mean that the institution of licensing is at a delicate stage in its development, because its legal regulation implementing the act, which is issued by the President "because of special need." But this is justified, as licensing - very fast and dynamic institution, and making changes and additions to Ordinance is much more easy task than the law.

In Belarus in the near future to cancel the licenses of about 20 activities, according to Economy Minister Nikolai Snopkov. (Belta)

"As currently planned abolition of licensing has about 20 activities and corresponding 60 components - the minister said. - In this paper, we adhere to international recommendations, and as the abolition of licensing requirements seek to avoid establishing too rigid certification requirements. "

Nicholas Snopkov noted that Belarus has already done serious work to reduce the number of licensed activities. "If in 2003 the number of licensed activities is about 150, now 50, the administrative burden on business entities is reduced by eliminating requirements for licensing a range of activities and components of their operations, optimize the order of the commission of licensing procedures, management of complex control relationships in the licensing "- he said.

Note, a draft decree is a kind of mini-code on the licensing and directed "at the complex regulation of" all issues in this area, such as issuing licenses, its extension and so on. The draft decree also excludes the possibility of double interpretation of state agencies established standards and to take their acts.

It is worth noting that the abolition of licensing does not mean indulgence. After all, instead plans to introduce compulsory certification. The corresponding decree of the president are now also being prepared.

The very situation in which entrepreneurs receive free access to markets previously controlled exclusively by the state, is encouraging. State regulation, without a doubt, it is necessary, the whole question is what form will this regulation. It would be naive to believe that the functioning of such important sectors of the economy can do without the direct involvement of the state, but that is not required. However, if the previous state simply did not allow any activity on these markets, the regulation now takes a civilized form - the form of licensing, it is accepted worldwide. This situation proves that the radical restructuring of the economy is really going on, and this is probably the most important thing at the moment.

Admitted to the organization of the licensing miscalculations could lead to greater economic and social costs, creating barriers to the formation of private business and the market entry of new business structures.

From the standpoint of public interest, such as licensing tool must, on the one hand, protect the rights of citizens from unscrupulous businesses, in cases where this type of activity requires compliance with the terms of reference, on the other - not an obstacle to business development, artificially limiting the markets, procedural and financial complicating license.

Lena Makarevich, a columnist of UTB