Gov`t Permit & Approval System Undergos Change

The basic framework of the permit and approval system will be changed from a “positive” to “negative” system.

This means automatic approval is granted if a government body fails to decide on permit or approval for building school facilities within 20 days.

The Government Legislation Ministry presented Tuesday a plan to improve 372 regulations on permit and approval at a meeting of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness chaired by President Lee Myung-bak.

The permit and approval system was changed from a positive model banning all cases in principle while allowing a few exceptions to a negative one allowing all cases with a few exceptions. To that end, 200 rules and regulations related to permit and approval were revised.

The ministry also shortened the period for seven permit and approval cases for drinking deep sea water from 60 to 20 days, and the other nine cases will be deemed automatic approval if the related government body in charge does not make a decision.

In addition, 27 permit and approval cases were eliminated; 15 were shifted to reporting or registration; 22 were eased; 31 were shortened or made to require a consultation period with the government body created for the case that requires multiple permits and approval; 35 were deemed as agreed on if the government body did not respond over the period; and 26 were left to a new consultation entity of government bodies related to multiple permit and approval cases.

A ministry source said, “The positive system was introduced when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule and has lasted for about 100 years, but now is the time to change the framework of regulations to make permits and approval advanced.”

will71@donga.com