Sawtouna starts to tackle 'Silence is Consent' rule with first discussion session

Rawafed, Sawtouna's consultants, presented the topic of "silence is consent" to members of the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA) and stakeholders from the private sector.

After the presentation, an open discussion took place regarding the topic. The audience's feedback will be incorporated into Sawtouna's research paper that will lobby for the "silence is consent" rule in Jordan.

The "silence is consent" rule indicates that if a registering entrepreneur does not receive consent for his application by the government after a given number of days, his application is considered approved. The rule is applied globally due to its various advantages.

Firstly, "Silence is Consent" removes bottlenecks when a sequential registration procedure exists. It also helps communication between the government's bureaucracy and the applicant because it sets clear and precise requirements and perquisites for the applicant. Third, the rule holds the bureaucrats responsible for approvals when neglecting to act within the deadline. All these elements make registration more efficient for businesses.

Jordan however does not have a "silence is consent" rule. Applicants must wait for the approval of their application, which makes the registration process slow and tedious. Therefore, Sawtouna has taken the initiative to highlight the advantages of the "Silence is Consent" rule.

Applying for the "silence is consent" rule is challenging because it can only exist for low risk businesses. Hence, a definition for the business's level of risk must be established by a specific commission. It is also difficult because of the different complexities that can lead to variations on setting a deadline.

Sawtouna will therefore be advocating the "silence is consent" rule by lobbying for two variables. First Sawtouna will lobby for all laws and regulations to require a six month period for decisions by the public administration on requests from the public. Second, a specific agency or commission should assess and dictate what constitutes a business's level of risk.

The application of "silence is consent" is important in easing the process between the public and the government. According to the World Bank, the reforms that reduce the layers of bureaucracy often have the highest payoffs in businesses. The six ways to achieve this goal is to: create single access points for businesses, reduce court meetings, provide electronic registration, introduce temporary business licenses and impose the ""silence is consent"" rule.