Archive for the 'yes minister' Category

Streamlining Government

Published January 13th, 2009 in swansea, Apolitical, change, yes prime minister, white fish authority, quango, quango watch and yes minister. 1 Comment

In The World’s Fastest Indian (2005) Burt Munro (played by Anthony Hopkins) surpasses his moneyed professional rivals and streamlines an Indian ‘Scout’ motorcycle by adopting a K.I.S.S. attitude. Hopkins attitude was the result of old-man stubbornness combined with fiscal reality.

In Ireland today (2009) Fianna Fail are still in government, to continue to metaphor we might thus call them old men,  but they have yet to grasp the fiscal reality. In the Celtic Tiger era there was much spending, and suffice to say some bad decisions were made. I don’t know much about politics but I have just come across a document on the Fine Gael website, a document so impressive it could, by itself, convince one to vote for Fine Gael in the next election. A Gerry McGuire type document. It contains the most comprehensive publically available list of Irish QUANGOs to-date, and that fact alone makes it worth saving locally as a PDF. But its more then a reference text, it offers solutions, a roadmap for change.

Granted the details could be fleshed out, and any roadmap is merely a political statement of intentions but it is more then I have seen on the Fianna Fail website.

Fine Gael - Streamlining Government(March 2008)

S.I. No. 49 of 2007

Published January 31st, 2008 in yes minister, red tape, over regulation and ambrand. 1 Comment

Dear Reader. I refer to STATUTORY INSTRUMENT No. 49 of 2007 also known as EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (COMPANIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2007. You have probably never heard of this regulation, but if you are the webmaster of a  companies website in Ireland then you need to keep reading.

Section (2) of the Regulation says

“Where a company has a website, it shall display in a prominent and
easily accessible place on that website…

(a) the name and legal form of the company;
(b) the place of registration of the company and the number with
which it is registered;
(c) the address of the registered office of the company;
(d) in the case of a company exempt from the obligation to use the
word ‘limited’ or ‘teoranta’ as part of its name, the fact that it is
a limited company;
(e) in the case of a company that is being wound up, the fact that it
is being wound up;
(f) if reference is made in the letter or order form to the share capital
of the company, the reference shall be to the capital that is subscribed
and paid up.”

The requirement to provide such info on letters and invoices and so on has existed for some time, this regulation just includes websites.

Naturally the act is vague, but I interpret it as meaning the bare minimum that is acceptable is to have one page that includes the following text in a small print font size. I typically use the “contact” page

Example Company Ltd. Registered in Dublin, Ireland? (ie. the location of the CRO flagship office) Company number 12345. Registered address 1 Mainstreet, Nonsuchtown, Co Cork

For the avoidance of doubt the regulations do not refer to sole traders or partnerships. I think regulation is required there. Many sole traders trade under their own names without additions and thus do not need to register a Business Name under the Registration of Business Names Act, 1963 with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) but due to the paucity of information on the website of the CRO many sole traders do not realise that they still need to register with the Revenue Commissioners via Form TR1? (even now I can’t find out the exact name of the form) as a sole trader. In doing so they acquire a number, which is typically their PPS number. I believe the regulation should extend to sole traders as it would make them realise they are not registered, and should be.

The public awareness of the requirement of all businesses to be registered is high in Australia where all businesses - regardless of registration type - have an Australian Business Number - ABN - which they must display.

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