| Good report card for
Rules Review Process |
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| Public agencies
are actively identifying and evaluating outdated
rules. |
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Rules, regulations and processes are the
result of policies. Although policies may
be written with the best intentions, they
may sometimes be translated into complicated
rules or inefficient processes. After some time,
if not given attention, these rules and processes
can become obsolete and outdated, and lead to
wastage, frustration and sluggishness.
The Rules Review Process (RRP) was
established in 2002 to ensure that public
agencies adopt a systematic and proactive
approach to reviewing their rules, regulations
and processes regularly. The first cycle lasting
three years ended on 31 March 2005.
 |
| The
encouraging results of the first cycle
of the Rules Review Process |
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| - |
More than 10,000 rules were reviewed during the
period. About 12% were deemed obsolete and eliminated,
while changes were made to another 24% of the rules
to keep them up to date with the current operating
environment. The following story is an example of
a rule that was changed.
The primary concern when RRP was first established
was getting agencies to develop a self-sustaining
system that ensures that the full spectrum of rules
under the agencies’ purview will be reviewed at
least once over a defined period.
While RRP’s Prioritisation-Evaluation-Execution-Review
(PEER) Framework provided a generic basis for doing
that, it was very much left to the individual agencies
to design their own systems to suit their operational
concerns. Hence there was diversity in the systems
implemented, but all of them achieved the same outcome.
For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs
adopted a systematic approach to rules review
by instituting a reporting system that is overseen
by a senior director from Headquarters (HQ).
Under this system, HQ departments have to
report the status of their review every quarter.
The reporting system ensures that rules review
work is both prompt and effective.
Through the review process, agencies increasingly
realised the value of engaging their stakeholders
and understanding their concerns, which in turn
shaped the final review outcomes. The promotion
of active citizenry and collaborative governance
allowed a better balance of interests between the
Government and the public.
For instance, since the inception of the RRP,
URA has been organising POWER Sessions involving
representatives from both the private and public
sectors who jointly review some of the development
control guidelines. POWER Sessions have since been
a regular feature of URA’s rules review process.
The outcome of the RRP is an overall reduction
in bureaucracy, increase in efficiency and greater
customer/citizenry satisfaction.
SPRING Singapore is one agency that makes
a conscious effort to reduce processing time to
prevent bottlenecks as well as improve response
time to its customers. For example, applications
to the Local Enterprise Finance Scheme (LEFS)
are processed within two to three weeks
compared to six to eight weeks previously. Under
a new procedure, SPRING audits Participating
Financial Institutions (PFIs) for compliance with
the loan approval process, instead of evaluating
every approval case submitted by the PFIs.
In addition, rules often cut across agencies,
hence requiring joint effort in reviewing the rules
and regulations. This has encouraged better
communication among agencies and brought
them closer to achieving a networked
government epitomised by the “Many Agencies,
One Government” tagline.
For example, the Ministry of Trade and
Industry worked with the Inland Revenue
Authority of Singapore and Singapore Customs
to introduce the new “Approved Third Party
Logistics (3PL) Scheme” on 1 January 2005. The
scheme helps 3PL providers to reduce cost by
simplifying GST payments and refunds.
The first cycle of the RRP has yielded positive
results, but the journey towards making our regulatory
regime actualise the notion of “Singapore is Opportunity”
has only just begun. The next Rules Review Cycle
is from FY2005 to FY2009. A new committee will be
building upon the foundation laid during the first
cycle to create an energetic and integrated regulatory
regime that concurrently serves to protect the citizenry
and enable opportunities. |
