Revolution on way for professionals

SIMPLIFIED administration processes for professionals such as lawyers, doctors, architects, translators and other professions libérales have been promised by President Sarkozy in what he calls a "revolution" for the professions.

Saying he knew self-employed people faced difficulties navigating French bureaucracy, he said this should be the job of government staff.

He promised the creation of a “digital safe” to hold information about self-employed professionals so government agencies could access it without bothering people with complex questions.

Speaking at a professions libérales round table in Versailles, Sarkozy said the changes amounted to a “revolution”, and added they had the advantage of not costing anything to implement.

He said the economic recovery depended on self-employed professionals as they ask the state for less than other sectors, work harder, innovate and strive to grow their businesses and, he said, do not go on strike every two minutes.

Saying his government had been working to simplify life for professionals, but had failed to advertise the things they had achieved, he cited the new retirement laws, the reform of the taxe professionnelle, and his proposals for apprentices and home working.

Mr Sarkozy asked people to point out ways of improving the bureaucracy involved in paying social service and health contributions, and income tax on the website http://www.pme.gouv.fr/simplification/index.php