IN the past, a company here dealing in a wide range of diagnostic-test kits containing controlled drugs had to apply for a licence for every consignment of its products.

This was a standard licensing requirement to ensure proper and direct tracking of the movement of test kits containing narcotic drugs across national borders so as to prevent illicit trafficking of these substances which can potentially be abused.

However, that changed in 2007 when the company appealed against the regulation, adding that the regulation was cumbersome. Following the company's feedback, Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) sought the help of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), the Central Narcotics Bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs to look into the matter.

With the various agencies collaborating, the licensing requirement was successfully reviewed, resulting in a new ruling. Under the new rule, HSA issued a one-year licence in place of the multiple licences that the company used to apply for every import and export of the company's products during the year.

This means that companies will be able to import and export the range and quantities of test kits as approved in the licence within a year instead of having to apply for multiple licences in a year for each consignment of goods.

This new ruling, which came into effect last Nov 1, represented a balanced approach taking all relevant regulatory and business factors into consideration. It has also resulted in a significant improvement in productivity and received positive response from the stakeholders.

Lawrence Leow, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and a member of the PEP, urged businesses to tap the PEP to cut business red tape standing in their way.

He said: 'PEP is here to help businesses by removing or reducing rules and procedures. For complex issues involving more than one agency, we will appoint a lead agency to lead the review with the relevant agencies, and act as the key point-of-contact for the business. In this way, we ensure that the review is carried out comprehensively and effectively.'

For businesses which are interested in having red tape removed, simply write in to PEP at www.pep.gov.sg

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The Pro-Entreprise Panel (PEP) was established in 2000 to actively solicit feedback from businesses on how government rules and regulations can be improved to create a more pro-enterprise environment in Singapore. The PEP is chaired by the Head of Civil Service, Peter Ho, and comprises mainly business leaders from the private sector.