Business regulatory framework on cards
Written by Millennium on August 9, 2019
BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes
THE Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA) is to set up supervisory framework by the end of this year to promote transparency in the administration of government to business services, says its chief executive officer Sharon Sichilongo.
Sichilongo said one of the key business reforms in Zambia had been the deployment of an e-Registry which was a centralised database and online platform holding information on licences, certificates, permits, authorisations and regulations.
The two reforms are an operational upgraded e-Registry and a Notice and Comment system.
In a statement Ms Sichilongo explained that the e-Registry was not only a channel for improving access to information on business regulatory frameworks but is also aimed at promoting transparency in administration of government to business services.
“Both the e-Registry and Notice and Comment will contribute to the attainment of BRRA’s strategic objectives of improving the quality of business regulations and improving delivery of business regulatory services,” she said.
Ms Sichilongo also said BRAA was scaling up its capacity building programme in Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA).
The agency, she said, would soon be holding sensitisation and capacity building workshops for chief executive officers in regulatory agencies.
She said the programme would target CEOs from about 36 regulatory agencies.
‘‘It is important that all public bodies comply with the provision to undertake RIAs in order for them to contribute to attainment of a conducive business regulatory environment.
“In May this year we trained 32 officers from regulatory agencies and 23 officers from government ministries in collaboration with American National Standards Institute,
“Now we need buy-in from the CEOs so that regulatory agencies can mainstream RIA in the formulation of regulatory frameworks,” Ms Sichilongo said.
RIA was a detailed systematic appraisal of the potential impacts of a proposed policy or regulation in order to assess whether the regulation is likely to achieve the desired objective and the costs of regulation are justified.
