Business owners' grievances to be heard

Advertiser Staff

Small-business owners with concerns about excessive enforcement of federal rules can voice their complaints to the U.S. Small Business Administration ombudsman at hearings on O'ahu and Maui next week.

"We work with the agencies back in Washington, D.C., to encourage a less punitive and more small-business friendly regulatory environment," said Michael Barrera, the SBA national ombudsman, who will be holding the hearings in Hawai'i.

"One of the biggest concerns small-business owners face is unfair enforcement of federal regulations," Barrera said, adding that owners also worry about telling their stories because they fear retaliation by the federal agencies.

"Small-business owners want to play by the rules and comply with federal regulations, so we want to encourage federal regulators to assist business owners with compliance rather than go straight to the penalty phase," Barrera said.

Andrew Poepoe, SBA district director, said, "If anyone has been subjected to unfair or excessive regulatory enforcement by a federal agency, we want to hear your story."

Information gathered at these hearings is included in the national ombudsman's annual report to Congress, along with findings and recommendations about the regulatory enforcement environment and its effect on small business. Each federal regulatory agency is rated in the report based upon their responsiveness to small business comments.

The national ombudsman's authority to respond to comments on compliance issues is limited to federal regulatory enforcement matters and does not include concerns about obtaining federal contracts or securing guaranteed loans.