Zero Bureaucracy (LV0035)

Navigate to 'zero bureaucracy "
DEADLINE:
2017 2nd half - 2019 1st half
WHAT ARE THE STATE AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST ISSUES WHICH HELPS MEETING THIS
COMMITMENT?
Statutory requirements are provided for certain activities and creates costs both internally in the public administration, as
well as citizens and businesses. For public administration more efficient, but businesses and citizens to meet the
requirements of the Law shall be low consumption of time and money, you need to continually assess the administrative
burden and to take steps to minimize it.
Better Regulation policy is a policy and regulatory development in support of the principles of "regulate as
little as possible" and "intervening only where it is needed", involves the public and listens to the opinions,
thus contributing to a transparent, evidence-based and public interest decisions making.
In the coming years, the Latvian public administration reform in the context of the work intended to reduce the administrative
burden and find opportunities to improve the efficiency and economy, moving towards "zero bureaucracy". Already it has
begun work on internally in the public administration of administrative burden assessment and proposals for its reduction 44th Proposals
developed intended to be introduced in the coming years. In addition it is also necessary to find out public opinion will have to
be carried out surveys on the administrative burden and customer satisfaction in certain areas "Reducing the burden together"
through the site http://www.mazaksslogs.gov.lv.
WHAT IS COMMITMENT?
Navigate to the "zero bureaucracy":
• to reduce the administrative burden on internally in the public administration;
• to reduce the administrative burden on businesses and citizens, involving people;
• Latvian develop better regulation policy.
44 Prepared informative report "Reducing Administrative Burdens in the public administration" project,
See: http://tap.mk.gov.lv/lv/mk/tap/?pid=40426623
8th
COMMITMENT
LATVIAN OPEN MANAGEMENT THIRD NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 39
HOW TO COMMITMENT will be introduced and the solution to these problems?
The commitment will be implemented through the completion and approval of an assessment of the administrative burden on
internal public administration and launching the proposals contained in the introduction. In addition will be selected identified areas
where the administrative burdens arising from citizens and businesses, and will be made public and business survey to hear their
proposals to these areas to reduce the administrative burden. Essential to ensure the widest possible range of respondents, the
results are impartial. Aggregated realized results will be used in developing the "zero bureaucracy" directed changes in both laws
and regulations and administrative procedures in public administration.
HOW TO MEET COMMITMENT OGP VALUES?
Commitment to comply with the OGP values - accountability and public participation through ICT solutions. With the
introduction of commitment will promote public involvement in reducing administrative burdens.
Reaching concrete results towards the "zero bureaucracy" will enhance public confidence in government
institutions and will develop a positive reputation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Compliance with international obligations
• The European Commission's Better Regulation agenda 45;
• The European Commission's regulatory compliance and enforcement program (REFIT) 46.
INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES
1. Take the survey "will reduce costs together" (of the administrative burden in certain areas) at least once a year
01.01.2018. - 31.12.2020.
2. To evaluate the administrative burden on internally in the public administration and to make proposals for its reduction, as well as
the launch of this proposal for the introduction of
2017 2nd half - 07/01/2020.
45 See: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/better-regulation-why-and-how_lv
46 View: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/overview-law-making-process/evaluating-andImproving-Existing-laws / Reducing-Burdens-and-Simplifying-law / refit-making-eu-law-Simpler-and-less-costly_lv
LATVIAN OPEN MANAGEMENT THIRD NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 40
3. To develop Latvian better regulation policy, while the objective of "zero bureaucracy"
01.01.2018. - 01.10.2019.
RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES
State Chancellery
OTHER MEASURES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
INVOLVED
All ministries
MEASURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RELEVANT PARTNERS
Latvian Free Trade Union

8. Towards “Zero Bureaucracy”

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

Editorial Note: The Latvian government did not submit an official English translation of its 2017−2019 to OGP. Therefore, the original Latvian version as it appears in the action plan can be viewed below. For the full text of this commitment, please see the Latvia 2017−2019 action plan here: https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/atvertas-parvaldibas-plans2017.pdf.

Virzīties uz “nulles birokrātiju”:

• mazināt administratīvo slogu iekšēji valsts pārvaldē;
• mazināt administratīvo slogu uzņēmējiem un iedzīvotājiem, iesaistot sabiedrību; • izstrādāt Latvijas labāka regulējuma politiku.

Milestones:

8.1. Veikt aptauju “Mazinām slogu kopā” (par administratīvo slogu noteiktās jomās) vismaz reizi gadā

8.2. Izvērtēt administratīvo slogu iekšēji valsts pārvaldē un sniegt priekšlikumus tā mazināšanai, kā arī uzsākt šo priekšlikumu ieviešanu

8.3. Izstrādāt Latvijas labāka regulējuma politiku, vienlaikus izvirzot mērķi “nulles birokrātija”

Start Date: 1 Jul. 2017

End Date: 30 Jul. 2019

Context and Objectives

The State Chancellery of Latvia committed to the goal of zero bureaucracy as part of its public service reform approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 14 November 2017. [37] For this purpose, it researches administrative burdens in various areas, such as public procurement, tax administration, and establishing enterprises. [38] The Chancellery also measures governmental innerworkings and submits proposals to reduce unnecessary work. [39] The Chancellery created two interactive tools where people may submit problems faced when interacting with the government: “Mazinām slogu kopā” (“Let’s reduce burden together”); [40] and a mobile application “Football” (Futbols in Latvian) [41] where people can find government institutions and give feedback on cooperation of institutions providing services.

The commitment is an initiative of the State Chancellery and calls for conducting an annual survey on how to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy (Milestone 8.1) and using findings from this survey to develop policy recommendations for reducing bureaucracy (Milestone 8.3). The commitment also involves analysis of the inner interinstitutional burdens in public administration to identify solutions for their and reforms (Milestone 8.2). The annual survey of the public who use government services (Milestone 8.1) corresponds to the OGP value of civic participation.

If fully implemented, this commitment could reduce administrative burdens for citizens, NGOs, and businesses. Interactive tools such as the application, “Futbols,” may collect public feedback that might otherwise not have been gathered. Nonetheless, the commitment does not specify which issues will be surveyed or if other tools will be developed for gathering information. Findings from the intergovernmental analysis will form the basis of proposals to facilitate more efficient information flows between government institutions. [42]

The description of activities is also not explicit on which areas will receive regulations. Though the description of commitment references EU policies on regulations in EU level highlighting main principles to be introduced in EU governance in areas of EU competencies. [43] The researcher assumes that the same principles will be applied also in other areas. Because of the low specificity, the potential impact is minor. However, the forthcoming IRM Implementation Report will evaluate the extent to which these activities changed government practice.

Next steps

If reducing bureaucracy is carried forward to future action plans, the IRM researcher recommends including more activities that are relevant to open government; activities could reduce administrative burdens on behalf of citizens and private legal entities. In this case, an interactive tool for gathering feedback from society could become a separate commitment.

[37] State Chancellery, “Draft legislation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia: Draft Plan "Public Administration Reform Plan 2020"” (7 Mar. 2019), http://tap.mk.gov.lv/lv/mk/tap/?dateFrom=2016-07-27&dateTo=2017-07-27&text=reformu+pl%C4%81ns&org=0&area=0&type=0.

[38] State Chancellery, “Administrative burden studies” (25 Nov. 2016), https://www.mk.gov.lv/lv/content/administrativa-sloga-petijumi.

[39] State Chancellery, “Draft legislation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia: Informative Report "Reducing Administrative Burdens in Public Administration"” (7 Mar. 2019), http://tap.mk.gov.lv/lv/mk/tap/?pid=40426623.

[40] State Chancellery, “Mazinām Slogu Kopā: For Once, Play Always” (accessed 9 Nov. 2018), https://mazaksslogs.gov.lv/slogs/sakums/.

[41] State Chancellery, “Mazinām Slogu Kopā: For Exact Passes in Public Administration” (accessed 9 Nov. 2018), https://mazaksslogs.gov.lv/futbols/sakums/.

[42] State Chancellery, “Draft legislation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia: Informative Report "Reducing Administrative Burdens in Public Administration"” (7 Mar. 2019), http://tap.mk.gov.lv/lv/mk/tap/?pid=40426623.

[43] European Commission, Commission Staff Working Document: Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT): State of Play and Outlook (Strasbourg: 19 May 2015), https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/commission-staff-working-document-refit-scoreboard-2015-state_of_play_and_outlook_may2015_en.pdf.

8. Towards “Zero Bureaucracy”

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

Editorial Note: The Latvian government did not submit an official English translation of its 2017−2019 to OGP. Therefore, the original Latvian version as it appears in the action plan can be viewed below. For the full text of this commitment, please see the Latvia 2017−2019 action plan here: https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/atvertas-parvaldibas-plans2017.pdf.

Virzīties uz “nulles birokrātiju”:

• mazināt administratīvo slogu iekšēji valsts pārvaldē;
• mazināt administratīvo slogu uzņēmējiem un iedzīvotājiem, iesaistot sabiedrību; • izstrādāt Latvijas labāka regulējuma politiku.

Milestones:

8.1. Veikt aptauju “Mazinām slogu kopā” (par administratīvo slogu noteiktās jomās) vismaz reizi gadā

8.2. Izvērtēt administratīvo slogu iekšēji valsts pārvaldē un sniegt priekšlikumus tā mazināšanai, kā arī uzsākt šo priekšlikumu ieviešanu

8.3. Izstrādāt Latvijas labāka regulējuma politiku, vienlaikus izvirzot mērķi “nulles birokrātija”

Start Date: 1 July 2017

End Date: 30 July 2019

In recent years, Latvia has steadily reduced bureaucratic burdens for citizens and enterprises. The State Chancellery created two interactive tools where people can submit problems from government interactions: “Let’s reduce burden together" (Mazinām slogu kopā) [43] and the mobile application “Football” (Futbols) [44] where people can give feedback on institutions that provide services. [45] Under this commitment, the State Chancellery aimed to conduct an annual survey on how to further reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. It also planned to analyze interinstitutional burdens in public administration to identify solutions.

Building on the “Let’s reduce burden together” platform, the State Chancellery implemented “Pass once and hit the goal” between June−September 2018 to find situations where government institutions ask for citizen information despite already possessing it. The survey received 110 cases. The State Chancellery analyzed the information and created a Change Management working group, inviting experts from NGOs and Laboratory of Innovations to solve the reported issues. Results of “Pass once” and other surveys shaped the client-oriented training programs at the State Administration School. Currently, three innovation laboratories are developing ways to solicit input from social groups during policy formation. [46]

This commitment reduced bureaucracy. Less documents are needed for residency permits and linking Latvia’s e-portal to e-services from other countries, which are available to Latvians. The State Revenue Service modernized its portal and processes, thus shortening the time needed for citizens and enterprises to deal with tax obligations. For example, citizens can now upload receipts from health expenditures for tax refunds. The Rural Support Service modernized its application system for government support. Applicants now receive clearer guidance when filling out applications, which has reduced submission mistakes by six times. [47] The Ministry of Welfare introduced e-services for obtaining unemployed status, which improves access to government social services such as unemployment allowances and training courses. Before the action plan, people had to visit the agencies in person to register for these social services. Several agencies of the Ministry have established one-stop agencies in regions, thus lessening the bureaucratic burden for citizens who wish to inquire about multiple services.

Finally, based on the results of “One pass” and other research, the State Chancellery prepared, and the Cabinet of Ministers approved, a report on the introduction of the “zero bureaucracy” principle for drafting new legislation. [48] The decision states that, starting from 1 November 2019, all draft laws must be examined for bureaucratic burden. If a client is required to perform more obligations toward the state, other obligations must be reduced.

Through this commitment, the State Chancellery effectively used data gathered through public participation to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for citizens. However, the changes to open government itself from this commitment have been marginal.

[43] State Chancellery, “Piespēlē vienreiz, trāpi vienmēr!” [Pass Once, Hit Always] (Mazinām slogu kopā!, accessed 9 Nov. 2018), https://mazaksslogs.gov.lv/slogs/sakums/.

[44] State Chancellery, “Par precīzām piespēlēm valsts pārvaldē!” [For Exact Passes in Public Administration] (Mazinām Slogu Kopā, accessed 9 Nov. 2018), https://mazaksslogs.gov.lv/futbols/sakums/.

[45] Zinta Miezaine, Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM): Latvia Design Report 2017−2019 (OGP, 2019), 34, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Latvia_Design-Report_2017-2019_EN.pdf.

[46] State Chancellery, Latvijas Trešais Nacionālais Atvērtās Pārvaldības Rīcības Plāns [Latvia’s Third National Action Plan Self-evaluation] (Cabinet of Ministers, Feb. 2019), https://www.mk.gov.lv/sites/default/files/editor/Valsts_kanceleja/ogp_3_vidusposma_izvertejums.pdf.

[47] Id.

[48] State Chancellery, “Informatīvais ziņojums "Par "nulles birokrātijas" pieejas ieviešanu tiesību aktu izstrādes procesā"” [Information report on the introduction of a "zero bureaucracy" approach in the legislative process] (Cabinet of Ministers, 20 Aug. 2019), http://tap.mk.gov.lv/lv/mk/tap/?pid=40476165&mode=mk&date=2019-08-20.