A government consultation exercise on a White Paper titled ‘Improving business inspections’ ended on Friday. It has four main objectives: more relevant inspections; empowering businesses; fewer inspections and lessening the associated burdens; and improved transparency.

Government bureaucracy is a common complaint and it is a declared objective of the present administration to reduce it by 25 per cent. The White Paper targets the inspection regimes.

According to the government’s calculations, in 2012 the administrative costs for businesses resulting from inspections in 11 selected areas totalled nearly €1.7 million. Taking all the inspection regimes into account, the total bill is said to be over €20 million annually.

There are several areas where improvements can be made to cut bureaucracy, including through data sharing between government entities, joint inspections and avoiding overlaps. However, at no point should the impression be given that inspections are a necessary evil or a burden we can do without. They are not.

The consultation paper lists the 10 highest incidences of annual inspections in 2013, with price indication compliance placing first, followed by inspections of catering establishments, employment registration, the environment and building development.

It is evident from these figures there is more at stake than the cost and time factor for businesses. There are issues related to consumer protection, public health and the environment, all of which have a bearing on people’s well-being.

The common good must not be ignored when reviewing the government’s inspection regimes. While bureaucracy needs to be addressed, so should the effectiveness of those same inspection regimes. Recent reports have not been encouraging.

Between September 2011 and January 2013, the Consumer Affairs Authority inspected 940 fuel pumps and found that 470 of them dispensed less fuel than paid for. There was no evidence the pumps had been tampered with, even though no pump was giving motorists more fuel than paid for. The inspected pumps were properly calibrated but have not been rechecked since.

The consumer affairs watchdog said recently that will happen “over the coming weeks”. One would have expected a much swifter follow-up, considering the erroneous calibrations cost motorists an estimated €1.1 million a year in less fuel.

Government inspections are not there just to protect consumers but also businesses from unfair competition by ensuring a level playing field. Figures by the Metrology Department, which is responsible for inspecting weighing instruments, show that only 12 out of 86 jewellers inspected between 2011 and 2015 were weighing precious metals and stones correctly. Nearly three quarters of them favoured the buyers.

In the 1,701 inspections on weighing scales done in the past four months, more than 340 were giving incorrect readings, with three quarters of them favouring the buyers. All 11 scales tested at Pitkali farmers were giving buyers more than they paid for.

Clearly, businesses stand to benefit from inspections too.

Inspections and enforcement are essential for the proper functioning of a free market where suppliers compete to provide the best value for money. Ensuring that the burden of those inspections is kept at a minimum is good but their quality should remain under constant vigilance to ensure effectiveness.

Pruning bureaucracy is commendable but so is an efficient inspections regime coupled with regular follow-ups, enforcement and the prosecution of abusers.

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