Gov. Josh Shapiro launched a new policy last year aptly named PAyback to speed up the process of permit issuance in Pennsylvania, writes the Editorial Board for The Wall Street Journal.

In his efforts to whip the state’s bureaucracy into shape, Shapiro ordered all state agencies to adopt a strict timeline for issuing permits.

He also opened a single office where businesses and individuals can apply for permits. But the key was the implementation of PAyback, a program that requires the state to refund application fees if it does not issue permits on time.

So far, it has turned out to be a success. The endless wait for permits in the Keystone State began clearing as soon as the policy went into effect. In less than six months that the program has been running, the Department of Environmental Protection has reduced its new permit backlog by 41 percent.

Meanwhile, individual workers are also benefiting from this program. The time it takes car salesmen, pharmacists, and real estate brokers to get licenses has halved.

According to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, all 55,000 permits approved by state agencies since November were issued within the allotted time.

Read more about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s PAyback initiative in The Wall Street Journal.

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