1. Deregulation results in 2008 The Cultural Heritage Administration successfully met its 2008 deregulation target of reducing or removing restrictions in the eight pre-selected areas (one core and the other seven general). Its deregulation measures were conducted with a view to eliminating the underlying causes of restrictions, lowering compliance costs, abolishing overlapping regulations, cutting paper work, and reducing bureaucratic costs, so that citizens can get their job done faster with more convenience. a. Core: Reducing restrictions in cultural heritage field research (i) Number of days needed for cultural heritage field research shortened: The number of days needed for documentary studies, digging, and excavation on a construction site was reduced to 40 days, 110 days shorter than the previous 150 days. Among the reduced 110 days, 28 days came from the abolishment of the compulsory permission from local governments for digging and excavation. (ii) Number of excavation institutions and their staff increased: While the demand for excavation research is experiencing as much as a 20% annual rise, the number of excavation institutions and their staff is increasing by less than 5% yearly, causing great financial costs to those who do not want to waist time to start a construction work. In response to this problem, the Cultural Heritage Administration abolished limits on 20 institutions, so that they can expand their activity domain nationwide. In addition, the number of staff required to open an excavation institution was lowered from 11 to 9, and academic requirements for staff were made less rigid, enabling additional 69 institutions to ender into this business. (iii) Predictability improved: The Geological Information System (GIS) is a high-tech mechanism to show whether or not cultural objects are buried in a certain site. The relevant law was amended to omit cultural heritage documentary research in the sites where cultural properties are proven to be buried according to the GIS. b. General (i) Registration qualifications for cultural heritage repair operators lowered: The relevant rule was abolished, so that one can act as cultural heritage repair operator without registering as general construction operator. (ii) Requirements for heritage repair engineers reduced: Requirements for heritage repair engineers were lowered, so that one can act as cultural heritage repair engineer even though they are in individual bankruptcy. (iii) Mandatory registration required of cultural heritage repair operators and engineers removed: Mandatory registration required of both cultural heritage repair operators and engineers was abolished, so that non-registered operators and engineers are not subject to disadvantages. (iv) Procedures needed to move state-designated cultural property abroad simplified: Bureaucratic procedures required to send state-designated cultural property overseas were simplified, so that the exchange of exhibitions with other counties can be done in a more convenient manner. (v) Fee for moving non-designated movable heritage overseas abolished: The non-effective compulsory payment for sending non-designated movable heritage overseas was abolished. (vi) Permission process for making alterations to the current status of the cultural property simplified: Multiple permission process was simplified, so that the permission from the Administrator of the CHA can replace the authorization from the head of local governments, when one is to make alterations where the preservation areas of the state-designated site and city/province-designated site overlap. Now, the letter of consent from the owner and business proposal do not need to be included in the documentation required to submit a request for a change to the current status of the cultural property. When it comes to small-sized constructions, one does not need to submit design drawing. (vii) Protection of private information strengthened: The information of one’s birthday is made to replace their ID number as necessary private information to be written on the cultural heritage trade register. 2. Deregulation plans for 2009 The Cultural Heritage Administration selected nine areas needed to be deregulated in 2009, aiming at relieving financial burdens for and providing a more convenient environment to the general public. First, the Administration will rationalize the cultural heritage impact examining process needed to initiate a construction work in the preservation zone of the cultural property. We will specify, in a greater detail, what to examine when one wishes to conduct a construction work in the preservation zone of the cultural property and would like to assign local governments to a greater role in the impact examination. According to the current regulation, one needs to consult with at least three experts in this field, when they are to initiate a construction work within 500m from the outer boundaries of a state-designated cultural property. If the consulted experts estimate the desired construction is likely to have impact on the preservation area of the cultural property, one need to go through the permission process for a change to the current status of the cultural property. Second, the Administration will abolish overlapping restrictions on activities in historic cities. Previously, when the preservation zones of historic cities designated under the Historic City Preservation Act and under the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law respectively overlaps, one was subject to the restrictions set forth in both laws. The redundant rules will be removed this year. Third, the Administration will set up cultural heritage preservation standards for excavation activities. Some have pointed out that there were no objective preservation standards for cultural objects unearthed from excavation activities. A set of preservation standards will be made to strike a fine balance between ordinary people’s right to private property and the Administration’s obligation to preserve cultural heritage. The other deregulation areas include reducing registration requirements for cultural heritage repair operators, expanding local governments’ role in giving permissions for alterations to the current status of natural heritage, simplifying the permission process for alterations to the current status of the state-designated cultural heritage, lowing entry barrier for the cultural property trade business, and introducing mobile phone text message service to give information on how far the alteration process have been conducted. The Cultural Heritage Administration is ready to cut red tape in order to adequately respond to changes in society. The Administration will make relentless efforts to remove unnecessary restrictions and to be more answerable to the general public.