site.btaForeign Diplomats Stress Importanceof Longer Debate on Laws before Passage, Predictable Business Environment

ESD 10:51:00 10-09-2014
LG1050ES.106
106 POLITICS - LEGISLATION - ASSESSMENT

Foreign Diplomats Stress Importance
of Longer Debate on Laws before Passage,
Predictable Business Environment


Sofia, September 10 (BTA) - "Bulgaria's Parliament and
parliamentarians can benefit from a unique democracy: laws are
moved and voted quite quickly here. What is important, however,
is to pass fewer laws but to debate them longer," British
Ambassador in Sofia Jonathan Allen said in his opening remarks
at a conference on "Regulatory Impact Assessment for Better
Governance" here on Wednesday.

The conference was organized by the US Embassy in Sofia, the
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the
American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham).

"Bulgaria is not a very rich country, which is why we must be
certain that every procedure and law boost rather than block
business growth," Allen pointed out. "Bulgaria already has
numerous tools of regulatory impact assessment, it must simply
bring them into operation," he argued.

Bruce Berton, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in
Bulgaria, said in his opening remarks that achieving greater
security and prosperity of Bulgarian society passes through the
rule of law. If Bulgarian families want to have access to
greater prosperity, the rule of law must be enforced, he noted.
"There are constitutional differences between Bulgaria and the
US, we can't give you ready-made recipes, but we can give
advice," Berton said. He reported that a number of US companies
run into administrative obstacles and complain of a lack of
transparency. "Regulatory impact assessment is very important
and will help you make important decisions," the diplomat said.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Hristo
Ivanov said at the conference that the crisis in Bulgaria came
as a result of a series of protests prompted by citizens'
growing feeling that government is increasingly out of touch
with society and is losing legitimacy.

"There has been much talk of the need of a reform of statutory
instruments, we probably need some regulation of lobbyism, too,
that would shed more light on the work of non-governmental
organizations," Ivanov said. "It is very important, and I hope
that the next Parliament will make an effort to increase the
transparency of appointments to all senior positions," he added.

BCCI President Tsvetan Simeonov said that legislation needs an
in-depth impact assessment to reveal the prospects and provide
information about the intended purpose of a law.

AmCham President Peter Lithgow said that American companies in
Bulgaria want market security, which means a proper regulatory
framework for the operation of business. ZH/LG

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