IHK reception in Kremmen: 300 guests discuss reducing bureaucracy!

IHK reception in Kremmen: 300 guests discuss reducing bureaucracy!

This year's annual reception of the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) took place in a festive setting in the picturesque Spargelhof Kremmen. Around 300 guests from business, politics and administration came together to talk about an urgent topic: reducing bureaucracy, which represents one of the central challenges for many entrepreneurs and companies in Brandenburg. Brandenburg's Economics Minister Daniel Keller (SPD) was also present and presented the latest reforms. As the maz-online.de reported, one of these reforms is that public administrations now only have to tender for contracts with a value of 100,000 euros or more (excluding sales tax). Previously the threshold was just 1,000 euros.

The IHK President Ina Hänsel played a central role. She is firmly convinced that more relief is needed, especially in the area of ​​construction law. This is more than supported by the constantly growing requirements and regulations and clearly shows the need for action. Given the increasing complexity of approval procedures and bureaucracy, something has to change.

Focus on reducing bureaucracy

The latest efforts to provide relief for companies are not new. On August 14, 2024, a top-level discussion took place in the Potsdam State Chancellery, attended by representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and business associations. Prime Minister Dr. Dietmar Woidke appreciated the suggestions put forward to reduce bureaucracy and announced that the new Brandenburg state parliament would set up a special committee to dismantle norms and standards. The aim of this committee is to review laws and regulations that are perceived as burdensome, such as brandenburg.de explained.

In March, a catalog with around 40 concrete suggestions for reducing bureaucracy was presented. These include, among other things, the digitization of business registrations and the simplification of further training guidelines. A clear sign that the state parliament has recognized how important a faster and more user-friendly process is for companies in the region.

The way into the future

An important point that was raised at the reception was investing in the future. Malte Voigts, the landlord of the Spargelhof, is planning to build the new tent restaurant “Stangenwirt”. However, this project requires a change to the development plan, which Kremmen's mayor Sebastian Busse also addressed in his speech. He supports the investment, but criticizes the lengthy procedures and bureaucracy that often unnecessarily slow down such projects.

The special committee to reduce bureaucracy, which was launched on December 11, 2024, aims to relieve the administration and offer an efficient, citizen- and business-friendly service. The committee will meet regularly and review and, if necessary, revise specific regulations proposed by stakeholders. This underlines the urgency with which many initiatives are being pursued in Brandenburg in order to drastically improve the framework conditions for companies. Ongoing developments will also be reported on the website Brandenburg State Parliament informed.

Overall, the annual reception shows the enthusiasm and commitment with which the actors in Brandenburg are committed to an economically viable region. It remains to be hoped that the reforms initiated and the reduction in bureaucracy will soon bring noticeable improvements.