Proposals from the first round of the Western Cape government’s new targeted initiative to resolve blockages hindering economic growth would be “interrogated” and compiled into “workable solutions” for implementation.

The first wave of the provincial government’s Red Tape Reduction Unit’s Biz Challenge netted proposals from more than 50 businesses, including major event organisers, consultants and law firms, on concepts to streamline the application process to obtain permits and licences for music, sports, health, academic and other events.

“My goal is to see the best proposals adopted as soon as possible. We will work together to ensure it becomes easier to get an events licence or permit,” Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Alan Winde said on Tuesday.

He pointed out that the events sector contributed more than R1-billion to the province’s economy each year.

“Reducing red tape in key areas of concern for business will clear the way for economic growth and job creation,” he said of the concept that would adopt a new theme through each phase.

The Red Tape Reduction Unit, housed within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, was established in 2011 to help businesses cut through or get around red tape.

The newly launched Biz Challenge initiative provided businesses the opportunity to voice their grievances and provide possible solutions to obstacles and red tape in their industry.

Some of the proposals received during the first phase included establishing a dedicated helpline dealing with event permit and licences queries; an electronic application system; the publishing of a how-to guide for event permitting and licence processes on a municipality’s website; and the implementation of a tracking system to monitor the status of electronically submitted applications.

The next Biz Challenge phase, to be launched in September, would call for comments on visa regulations and tourism signage.

Winde previously noted that the unit was working on streamlining the visa applications of investors to ensure they can do business in the Western Cape, with analysis and comparisons being made with South Africa’s economic bloc partners, Brazil, Russia, India and China, as well as key trading partners in Africa.