The President of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF), Cristina Herrero, today took part in the 39th Cercle d’Economia Meeting held at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya [Congress Centre of Catalonia], which focused on boosting productivity. Cristina Herrero took part in a round table on the pressing need to simplify administrative procedures, together with the Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, Victor Lapuente, and the Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines Spain, Vanessa Gelado. The round table was moderated by a member of the Board of Directors of the Cercle d’Economia, Camino Quiroga.
During the debate, Cristina Herrero explained that the regulatory activity of the General Government affects all the determinants of productivity, such as innovation, education, the institutional framework and market efficiency, but is a necessary control to ensure respect for regulations and equal opportunities.
However, it is necessary to answer three questions: how much, how and when to exercise this control? This is because if administrative action is perceived as a hindrance there is a deterrent effect when it comes to interacting with the General Government, which not only affects productivity in the private sphere but also the effectiveness of public policies.
The President of AIReF expressed her conviction that there is scope for the General Government to act more on an ex officio basis, speed up procedures and operate more systematically. In her opinion, administrative information in Spain is good, but it is fragmented, compartmentalised, and does not allow cross-referencing, reducing efficiency. “We need a comprehensive vision”, she stated.