The return of the Simplex News Journal

The measures to combat red tape in the issuance and renewal of driving licences, which come into force already at the beginning of January are the height of the best that the Simplex has brought to the actual life of the citizens: first, there is no need to renew the driving licence just because if you have changed address (the address no longer appear in the charter itself, going to be included in the base only of the IMT, which directly accesses to the updated data from the citizen card); second, the term of validity of licences is extended from 10 to 15 years for drivers up to the age of 60 years old; third, will be able to treat the renewal of the charter for the Internet, with a discount of 10%; fourth, drivers with less than 60 years old no longer need a medical certifi cate to renew the charter; fifth, the medical certificates required for drivers with more than 60 years pass by, from April, the circular directly, by electronic means, of the services of the Ministry of Health for the IMT.

With these measures, in good time, and announced by the minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, in conjunction with the minister of the Presidency and Administrative reform, Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, millions of roles and procedures useless will be purely and simply deleted, the service quality in public services will improve and the life of citizens will be a lot easier.

This offensive against the bureaucracy on the cards driving well illustrates the mode of operation and the merits of the Simplex programme, launched in late 2005 by then-minister António Costa and I have had the honor of guardianship between 2007 and 2011. The Simplex is the same as well: mobilizes the contribution and the creativity of all the ministries, services, and employees of the State to fight the bureaucracy; a structure through the programming of a vast linked set of measures scheduled, with great involvement of the importance of policies and, finally, submits the execution of these measures to a rigorous monitoring and evaluation periodic. It is this model, this is the key to success.

The return of the Simplex programme, with the 255 measures that are now the version “Simplex+ 2016″, allowed to re-launch the ambition of administrative reform, which should never have been abandoned by the governance Right. Moreover, in the case of a program widely recognized, nationally and internationally as a huge success, relaunch it reveals, above all, lucidity and good sense. But this renewed commitment to the administrative reform has a political significance far more profound, which must be recognized: to enhance the qualification of public services, the Government of the socialist is distinguished from the “primer” of neoliberal State reform, and takes a different view – and progressive – what should be the structural reforms. Honor him.

MEP