DA submits Ease of Doing Business Bill as part of Economic Reform Plan

21 February 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally submitted the Ease of Doing Business Private Member’s Bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly on Friday 19 February 2021, as part of our comprehensive economic reform plan aimed at boosting economic growth and improving the lives of millions of South Africans.

I have requested that the Bill be placed on the Order Paper for First Reading in terms of National Assembly Rule 284(2)(a).

The Bill seeks to improve the environment wherein entrepreneurs in South Africa conduct their business. The objectives of the Bill are, among others, to:

create capacity in government to measure, control, and reduce the socio-economic impact of regulatory measures;

ensure the due consideration of multiple options by organs of state to achieve the objectives of government policy;

measure the impact of a regulatory measure, especially red tape contained in a regulatory measure, on business;

measure and reduce red tape and the cost associated with red tape when conducting business in the Republic of South Africa; and

create a business friendly environment for business in the Republic of South Africa.

The Bill further seeks to provide for the establishment of an administrative unit to assist the executive, members of Parliament, committees of the Houses, and self-regulatory bodies in this process, and sets out the functions and powers of this unit. The Bill also seeks to provide for assistance to businesses in overcoming red tape and other challenges that hinder the ease of doing business.

The DA consulted many organisations, SMMEs, and individuals across South Africa, and even foreign governments, during the drafting of this bill. Hence, we believe that this Bill is the only solution to reform the toxic entrepreneurial environment, created by the ANC that small businesses find themselves immersed in and barely holding head above water. This Bill will level the playing fields for SMMEs.

The DA believes in the principle of “if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it,” and this Bill aims to achieve exactly that: getting government and power-hungry bureaucrats out of the way and letting budding entrepreneurs do what they do best.

The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report recognizes the important work countries have done to improve their regulatory environments for business and every year the ANC Government efforts fall far short and ends up at the tail end of the index.

The time for easing the environment for all entrepreneurs so that they can become successful and create meaningful jobs and prosperity for all is long overdue. Implementing this Bill of the DA will do just that.

Issued by Henro Kruger, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, 21 February 2021